Something of Yours
by Sparkly Faerie
Summary: A secret fling with the school nerd was all that it was supposed to be. Sakura’s deepest, darkest fear is that it’ll be revealed. Little does she know... its already too late; it’ll eventually have to be revealed in the most public fashion possible. SxS
1. Chapter One

**I'm currently in the process of editing the entire fic. This fic has always had a special place in my heart, but lately, I don't feel like it's as good as it can be. In an attempt to make it at least slightly better, I'm going through and re-editing each and every chapter.

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Card Captor or anything associated with it. All rights to Card Captor Sakura and affiliated products belong to CLAMP and the other proper entities.

**Summary:** A secret fling with the school nerd was all that it was supposed to be. Sakura's deepest, darkest fear is that it'll be revealed. Little does she know... its already too late; it'll eventually have to be revealed in the most public fashion possible.

**Rating:** M

**Pairings:** SxS ExT

**Genre:** Drama/Romance

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**Something of Yours**

**Chapter One**

Sakura's neck felt like it was on fire. His lips were slowly, agonisingly slowly, crawling all over her pale skin, leaving a trail of saliva as his tongue travelled downwards. She shivered with pleasure as he began to suckle on her collarbone, intent on leaving a hickey. His hands slowly crept down her body, feeling the curves of her shoulder blades down, along to her hips. He wouldn't let himself go down any further. Not without permission.

"Kinomoto…" His voice came from behind her in a husky growl.

The bell rang, causing a squeak from Sakura. She hurriedly pushed him away, straightening her clothes and covering the small red mark on her collarbone. She stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek before leaving the closet. She turned around to wink at him and place a finger over her lips, silently telling him to keep their most recent rendezvous a secret.

Sakura hurried through the corridors of the school, arriving to class just on time. She needn't have worried, though; her teacher was absent today, leaving the class unattended. Sakura took her seat, trying to look as innocent as possible for someone in her situation, as she turned to her side and began chatting to her best friend, Daidouji Tomoyo.

Kinomoto Sakura was the picture of innocence… on the parts that people could see, anyway; the brand new hickey on her neck told an entirely different story. There was only one person in the world that knew otherwise, though. And that person was…

Sakura stopped talking to Tomoyo mid-sentence, watching the door open. She successfully avoided flushing a brilliant rosy colour as the man that she had just been making out with in the janitor's closet entered the room, not even looking in her direction.

"Wow, the nerd's late to class!" A young man by the name of Michi called out. "Never thought I'd see the day!"

Li Syaoran, the 'nerd', was the smartest man – no, _person_ – in the twelfth grade. His peers, though, teased him due to the fact that he chose to wore thick glasses and slick his hair down with gel. He wore old, baggy hand-me-downs from his cousins that hid the hot, muscular physique that Sakura had seen with her very own eyes. And touched with her very own hands. And kissed with her very own… ok, she mentally slapped herself, never mind about that.

Syaoran sat down behind her and to the right a little, so Sakura could see him while she was talking to Tomoyo. Her cheeks warmed considerably when he flashed a deep, searching look her way, though it was so quick that no one else noticed. The entire classroom had gone silent. They were just waiting for someone to say something.

"What?" Tomoyo had caught Sakura staring at him, and turned around. She snapped out of her daze and quickly came up with a believable story. Something that would ensure that she hadn't been fantasising about him, her, and some of the most carnal positions known to mankind.

"Just thinking about what a nerd he is." Sakura shrugged. "Someone's bound to start on him soon." She turned away from him, tearing her eyes away. Tomoyo grinned and held up a ball of newspaper in her hand. Unfurling it, Sakura saw several multi-coloured water balloons, each filled with water. Sakura mentally sighed; she knew this class was going to be a circus.

"Well… since you were waiting for it…" She lobbed the ball at Syaoran's head. Sakura winced as she heard the impact. The balloon promptly split open upon impact, dripping all over his head and face. The water ran down his front, drenching his shirt and giving him a frumpy look. The hair gel in his hair was no longer in his hair; it melted with the water and began to run down his face and back, leaving oily tracks in its wake.

"Shit. What's with the balloons?" Sakura scowled. Tomoyo raised an eyebrow at what Sakura had said. "I mean, they could've burst in your bag. It must've been a big pain to make sure they didn't. Not very nice, worrying about something breaking and drenching everything." She quickly remedied. Tomoyo seemed satisfied as the entire class started laughing. Sakura closed her eyes and tried to will the vomit back into the pit of her stomach. These kids were too cruel… but she was no better. She hadn't stopped them.

Sakura and Syaoran had been having a secret fling for the last few months, no strings attached. Neither of them remembered what had prompted them start it, exactly, but they didn't really think about it much. Nothing existed between the two of them but the physical, and they made sure no one knew about it. Syaoran had said that he didn't think it would last long, so there was no point in telling anyone. Besides, they were from different crowds; a nerd dating a cheerleader was unheard of.

But now… now it was different. It was like they were addicted to each other, and they were ashamed of it. Sakura was being hypocritical – something she hated. She had always protested against peer pressure, and yet she was caving to it. She personally didn't care that she was having a fling with the 'nerd', but since everyone else thought so lowly of him, she was afraid of what they'd think of her.

Sakura was everything that Syaoran hated. She was bubbly, cheerful, and_ popular_. A _cheerleader_. It made him want to be sick every time he thought about it, and yet he kept going back for more. He beat himself up about it every time she left him and went back to her friends and family. He didn't understand what it was about he that drew him.

So Syaoran sat there, water and hair gel dripping all over his face and being laughed at by his peers. He looked around the sea of laughing faces to see Sakura with her eyes clenched shut and a pained expression on her face, briefly wondering what she was thinking before closing his own eyes and waiting for the next round to come. And come it did, though there were some fruits in it this time; he was pelted with things until the bell rang. The class stood up and raced out the door to begin their two weeks of freedom, except for Syaoran and Sakura.

Syaoran sighed and began to pick things out of his once-gelled-down hair and off his clothes when Sakura sauntered over to him.

"You're a dirty boy." She growled, before straddling him and kissing him eagerly. She desperately wanted to make it up to him for what happened in class. It had never occurred to her to offer an open friendship, their relationship being too complicated, and so she offered him her apologies in the only way she knew how; sex, with the danger of being caught.

Syaoran growled fiercely into the kiss, letting his hands slide up her sides. Her hands were planted firmly on the back of the chair, making sure she didn't collapse on top of him. His tongue began probing her mouth as she took off his glasses and laid them down on the desk. Syaoran pulled away for a few moments, just long enough to catch his breath and speak.

"We're going to get caught in here, Kinomoto." He whispered huskily, shifting her weight a little so his leg didn't go numb.

"So?" Sakura whispered against his ear, kissing down his jawbone and back to his mouth. Her lips scraped against the stubble on his jaw-line that indicated he hadn't had the time to shave that morning. She squealed in surprise when he stood up, knocking her off of him and onto the floor, and stared up at him wide-eyed.

"I thought we agreed, Kinomoto," Syaoran said nonchalantly, "that when we got into this, it was to be kept secret." Sakura's eyes watered with rage as she stood.

"Despite what you think, _Li_," She spat out his name with distaste, "I am _not_ an easy _whore_."

"Could've fooled me." He grunted, raising an eyebrow and looking her up and down. "You slept with _me_, after all. Several times." Sakura stumbled to her feet and slapped him – _hard_ – across the face. He made no move to retaliate, knowing that he deserved the strike.

"You know very well that you're the only one I've ever slept with!" Sakura seethed, before picking up her bag and marching out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Syaoran sat back down, massaging his temples as he put his glasses back on. He watched Sakura through the window, as she ran to the gates and stopped by her car. He saw her scream and chuck a fit as she stamped around, and even caught some of the words that the wind had caught and dragged over for him to hear. He chuckled quietly to himself as he heard some of her choices in language.

"Fucking bastard… I can't believe… involved with that fucker… murder the asshole…"

Those were just some of the things that he heard. He chuckled for the second time at her fiery temper, remembering the first time she had come around to his apartment. She was extremely upset and angry with her boyfriend for cheating on her. Apparently it was due to the fact that she wouldn't put out for him. _That_ had been an evening to remember. And that was also the day their affair had started; she had certainly put out for _him_.

Syaoran slung his bag over his shoulder with a grunt. He sighed as he noticed a little problem down south that he would have to take care of later. He'd stop at her house on the way home to apologise – he always did. And he hated it. He didn't know why he did it every time.

"I am such a fucking bitch." Syaoran muttered to himself, walking toward Sakura's home. "Such a fucking bitch. I hate her, but I keep going back for more. Why?!" He came to her door and knocked. Sakura answered it with a friendly smile that immediately disappeared when she saw him.

"Tomoyo-chan's in here! What do you want?" Sakura hissed.

Syaoran shrugged. "Hell if I know." Sakura pushed him out the door as soon as he tried to step in.

"Who is it, 'Kura-chan?" Tomoyo shouted from the living room.

"Just a neighbour!" She threw over her shoulder. "I'll be back in a few! Lock up and leave the key under the mat if you leave before I come back, ok?" Sakura called out before gabbing Syaoran's collar and dragging him down to the side of the house. They heard a faint 'ok' come from inside as Syaoran roughly pushed Sakura against the wall and kissed her as he dumped his bag.

Sakura moaned into the kiss. What they were doing was so wrong on so many levels; and yet they kept going at it. Why? It certainly didn't make her feel any better about herself. In fact, it only served to make her feel cheap and used. _And_, why did it have to be Li Syaoran, the man she hated most in the whole, entire world? _Why_?! Did the Kami enjoy teasing the fuck out of her?!

Syaoran held her wrists above her head in one hand while the other was wrapped possessively around her waist. Sakura frowned into the kiss; leaning into him and forcing him to take a step back and drop her hands. Once she was released, her hands stole themselves around his neck and pulled him closer to her. Her reward was a grunt as he lifted her up by the legs and pushed her hard against the wall, her knees on either side of his hips. She wrapped her legs around his waist to prevent herself from slipping.

Syaoran seemed not to notice when Sakura panicked as she heard the front door close just around the corner. She sighed with relief when she heard a car door open and close, followed by the sounds of the car driving off. She tugged on Syaoran's collar, leading him to the house, before slamming his back against the door.

"Your Otou-san?"

"Out of town." Sakura crashed her lip to his, dragging him to the sofa. "He wont be back until the day after tomorrow."

"Your Onii-san?"

"At college. Only comes for visits once a month. Left two days ago." She pushed him down impatiently. He landed on the couch, in a sitting position, before she climbed up and straddled him, much like she had done at school. She plunged her tongue into his open mouth, probing, whipping his tongue with her own. She took off his glasses and placed them on the coffee table behind her.

She felt Syaoran's hands slide up under her shirt, coming to rest on her lacy bra. In one fluid movement, he whipped her shirt off her and flipped them over, so that he was straddling her. Her fingers subconsciously began to unbutton his damp blue uniform. When they were all undone she slid the old, baggy thing off his torso and grazed her fingers over his rippling muscles. She smirked as she felt him tense under her touch.

"Bad girl." He growled. She gasped as his trailed butterfly kisses down her neck and back to the hickey he had left earlier. Deciding that it would be lonely all by itself, he began to work on making another one, as the hand that wasn't holding his weight from crushing her snaked its way around her back and removed her bra with practiced ease.

Syaoran began to knead her breasts, earning a small moan from Sakura. He kissed down from her collarbone, satisfied that he had left his mark, and made his way down to where his hand was currently occupied. He began to trace his tongue up and down the neglected left breast, eventually taking her erect nipple in his mouth.

Sakura gasped as he began suckling, her back automatically arched and she closed her eyes with a moan. This was exactly what she needed right now, she thought, a distraction from her awful day. Syaoran's mouth left her nipple and began on the other one, also switching hands. Sakura moaned again, her hands buried in his hair. She could feel his erection pressing up against her thigh. She was guiding his mouth back towards hers when…

The phone rang.

Sakura groaned in displeasure and pushed Syaoran to the ground, telling him to stay quiet as she answered the phone. One of her hands held the phone as the other held her breasts to hide them from Syaoran's hungry eyes. She could feel herself heat up under his intense stare. The heat that had begun all over her body travelled down and pooled at the junction of her thighs, making her stomach flutter, as she imagined what the phone call had just interrupted.

"Ki-Kinomoto Sakura here!" Her voice was squeaky for some reason; she cleared her throat, shaking her head to something the person said on the line. "Oh, nothing, it was just quiet when the phone rang and I was a little startled. What's wrong, 'Moyo-chan?" Her brow furrowed, "Sure, you can come over. Anytime, 'Moyo-chan, anytime." She listened for a few more minutes. "Yeah, sure you can stay the night. Ok, see you in five. Yep. Ok. Bye." She hung up, and turned to Syaoran.

"You have to leave." She threw his shirt at him. "Now." Syaoran frowned but did as he was told, watching Sakura all the while as she re-dressed.

She practically pushed Syaoran out of her door and all but slammed it behind him. She watched carefully out the window from behind the curtains as he walked quickly down the street – rather awkwardly, she noted with a smirk – and disappeared just as Tomoyo's car came into view. Sakura threw open the door and enveloped her weeping best friend in a hug.

"What's wrong, Honey?" She asked, bringing the girl inside and shutting the door behind them.

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**Chapter One has been edited.**


	2. Chapter Two

**Well hey there everyone! Let me just say WOW! I was amazed by the response of the readers! O.o I just hope I can live up to it now!**

**Ok, well here's the chapter!

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**Addicted to You**

**Chapter 2**

**Confessions**

Once Sakura had calmed the sobbing Tomoyo down she set herself on making her tea. All was going well, until…

"Sakura, whose glasses are these?" Tomoyo came into the kitchen with the spectacles in her hand and a confused expression painted across her lovely, tear-streaked features. "I found them on the table."

"My dad's." Sakura said quickly, "He must've left them out. I'll put them upstairs in his room." She took the glasses out of her friend's hand, silently vowing to kill Syaoran while doing so. Once she was safely up the stairs, she darted into her own bedroom and put them in her sock drawer.

Then, she picked up the cell phone that was sitting on her nightstand and dialled a number she seemed to call all too often. Waiting for someone to answer, she began to tap her foot in her impatience.

"What can I do ya for?" An annoyingly smug Li Syaoran answered the phone. Sakura growled deep in her throat.

"You left your glasses here!" She hissed, imagining choking the life out of him right then and there. She heard the chuckle from the other end a little too loudly.

"Yeah and I left my bag outside your place as well." He sounded positively amused with the situation, while Sakura was panicking.

"What if someone sees it?" She hissed at him, "We'll be found out!"

"And I quote; 'So?'" He seemed all too smug.

"Wait until I get my hands on you-"

"Oh, but I can't wait."

"I'll rip you to shreds-" She kept going, ignoring him.

"No you wouldn't. Who would you run to then?"

"You are so dead." Sakura said dangerously. Syaoran chuckled.

"Not yet, dearie."

"I'll bring your things over when Tomoyo leaves." Sakura said finally, "_Then_ I'll kill you." And she promptly hung up.

To cover up for her long, unexplained absence, Sakura flushed the toilet and washed her hands, drying them against her skirt for effect. Going back downstairs, she called out to Tomoyo.

"Sorry I took so long." She walked into the living room to find her friend sobbing again. Sakura felt something tug at her heart whenever she saw her friend cry. Her heart broke for her.

"Tomo, what happened?" She asked quietly, cradling her in her arms like a small child.

Across Town… 

Syaoran knew he was pushing his luck with Sakura. Not that he actually gave a damn about her; he just didn't want anyone to find out what was going on between them. It would be the ultimate blackmail if his cousin ever got hold of that little piece of information.

The sex was good – he had to admit that much. But Sakura only ever came to him when she was angry or distressed, making it that much more disgusting. It was like he was a drug that she used, to try to forget. She used him to try to reach oblivion.

He knew she was using him, even if she didn't herself. And he'd let her. He'd given her his body to take anytime she wanted; to forget. To lose herself in her angry or distressed passion. And he was the tool she used it on. He knew that. And he hated himself for it. But he was a slave. Her slave.

Just as he had been for her, she had been his first. He still remembered it. Rushed and quick, it was. But Sakura was angry. And that was how it all started. It had escalated from there.

Every time, after they had finished having sex and were getting dressed, she cried. At first, Syaoran had stayed by her side, trying to comfort her. But, after about two or three rounds, he had stopped. She was crying in self-loathing and disgust. So, Syaoran eventually begun thinking, let her cry. She had created the mess. She had to lie in the grave she had dug. Let her cry. One day she'd realise that it wasn't gonna help her.

Syaoran looked over at the punching bag that he had set up in the spare bedroom. Screwing up his fist, he began to assault it with the tension he had worked up earlier at Sakura's place. He hated being weak. But that was what Sakura did to him. She made him mentally weak. She was in total control of their affair. When she said meet her there, he did.

"Pathetic." Syaoran growled to himself. "Fucking weak." He continued to assault the bag. "One two-letter word. 'No'. N-O. How hard is it to say?" He demanded of himself, still punching the bag.

Sakura's House… 

"… and he-he said that he wa-was dum-dumping me!" Tomoyo wailed, burying her face into Sakura's chest, sobbing. Sakura sighed, drawing small circles on Tomoyo's back to calm her.

"It'll be ok, Tomo…" She whispered, cradling her again, "It'll all be ok. I promise."

"How?" Tomoyo wailed, "How will it be ok?"

"Well, that Eriol guy seems to like you." Sakura said chirpily, "I saw him staring at you yesterday." Tomoyo immediately perked up and dried her tears. Sakura knew what was coming. The rebound.

"Great! Now I have to get him." Her eyes sparked dangerously. "Thanks for that, Sakura. A meaningless fling is just what I need right now." Sakura fought the urge to say otherwise. It would look too suspicious. But she couldn't help herself.

"I'm not so sure about that." She gushed, "I mean, flings are all well and good if you're in the right state of mind, but sometimes they escalate outta hand and you never know what will happen. It might end up becoming a habit. Or even an addiction." Like it was with Syaoran, Sakura thought bitterly.

"Sakura, you've never had one." Tomoyo arched an eyebrow, "How would you know?"

"Oh, I watch a lot of Oprah and Dr Phil." Sakura shrugged, standing up. Tomoyo fixed her with a piercing gaze that indicated that she didn't believe her.

"Sakura, you've had a fling?" Tomoyo asked incredulously. _Never_, in all her life had she imagined sweet, little, innocent Sakura having an _affair_.

"No!" Sakura's cheeks flared up, "I am doing nothing of the sort! I'm still a virgin! And I would never – oh God, Tomoyo I need help!" Sakura sobbed, sitting back down, "I don't know how it happened!"

"With who?" It was Tomoyo's turn to be comforting. She pulled Sakura towards her and hugged her fiercely.

"Li Syaoran!" Sakura wailed. Tomoyo froze and pulled away from Sakura. A mingled look of shock, confusion and disgust was written all over her face.

"The _nerd_?" Tomoyo demanded. Sakura spluttered and nodded vigorously. Tomoyo pulled her towards her again in a big hug. "Oh my God. Sakura, I'm so sorry it had to come to this! The sex must have been awful! How on _earth_ did this happen?" Sakura took in a deep, shuddering breath.

"Actually, it isn't that bad." Sakura laughed harshly, "But you know how I was so upset at Isamu for cheating on me? Well, I was running home from his apartment. You know they live in the same complex, right?" Tomoyo nodded, "Well, the lift was broken that day, and…"

Flashback… 

Sakura was running down the stairs with tears streaming down her eyes. She didn't even notice where she was going and so she collided with a man, but he caught her around the waist before she hit the ground. Sakura was ready to apologise, when she looked up, but could only stare in anger and shock.

"Li?" She gasped. Syaoran seemed equally surprised to find her in his arms. What the _hell_ was going on here? He looked… different. It looked like he had just gotten out of the shower not long ago, since his hair was un-gelled and he wasn't wearing his glasses. He was also wearing a black muscle shirt and jeans – not his usual attire. He looked _hot_.

"What's wrong, Kinomoto?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow at her tear-streaked face. Sakura didn't know what had come over her. The next thing she knew, they were kissing feverishly and were inside his bedroom, undressing each other.

Syaoran picked her up bridal style and laid her on the bed. Her hands fumbled with his zipper while he was planting butterfly kisses along her neck. Both of their minds screamed out at them to stop, but Syaoran was just particularly hormonal that day, and Sakura was way too angry to care. So they kept going.

When Sakura had gotten his pants off, they knew they were at the point of no return. Syaoran was fondling her breasts while he was teasing him with her hands. Syaoran took off Sakura's skirt and panties, while Sakura took off his boxers.

"Protection?" Sakura asked, muffled by Syaoran's kiss. He reached into a drawer and took out a wrapper and handed it to Sakura. She blushed, but opened it and put it on him like it was nothing. What she didn't realise was that she would be doing it often from then on.

Sakura whimpered as he began marking her with a hickey while he spread her legs a little further. Then, all in an instant, he pushed into her, shattering both of their innocence.

End Flashback… 

"And that's how it all started." Sakura took a long, deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Tomoyo was staring at her in shock.

"Oh Sakura…" Tomoyo cradled Sakura when she finished her story, "Oh, Sakura it's ok. I'll help you get through this." Sakura hugged her friend tightly. She was taking this much better than could be hoped for.

"I just don't know what to do…" Sakura mumbled.

"Well, the first thing is to break it off." Tomoyo said strictly, "Then the healing process can begin."

"But I…" Sakura gulped, "I don't think I can."

"Nonsense." Tomoyo snapped, "You are going to go to his apartment tomorrow morning and break it off. First thing, ok? I'd come with you but I have to go home early. But I trust you to do it."

"Ok… I will." Sakura smiled weakly against Tomoyo's chest as she hugged her.

But Sakura knew she was lying. There was no way that she would be able to do this. She was an addict. And Syaoran was her drug of choice.

No! Sakura told herself, she would not take that road! She was going to end this, once and for all!

**Well? How was it? Review please?**


	3. Chapter Three

**Hey guys. How's it goin'? It's been a little while. I've kinda changed the plot of this story. At the end of this chapter, you'll see how. So that's why it took so long. I wasn't originally planning on having it go this way, but when I was writing it, it just seemed right. So I've been modifying the rest of it to fit.**

**Anyway, on the flipside, my exams start TOMORROW! Wish me luck, will ya? I'm wasting very valuable study time doing this! Lol, nah, I took maybe half an hour out of a totally empty day to finish it off. But I seriously need to study now… (bites lip). Again, please wish me luck!**

**Oh yeah! I changed the name of the fic! It fits this story better, I think. But the summary will stay the same.**

**By the way… I've noticed a lot of people have this story on alert. I would appreciate it if those people could review sometimes. PLEASE? I mean, I'm grateful to get 30 reviews for each chappie so far, but it irritates me when I have over 1000 hits every chapter and only 30 reviews… it makes me feel cheated. I know, I know… I shouldn't bitch and moan. I'm grateful to my reviewers! Really, I am! If it weren't for you guys, I wouldn't be writing this now!**

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

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Something of Yours**

**Chapter 3**

**A Scare of the Kind Starting With 'P'**

Sakura took a deep breath before knocking on Syaoran's door. It was one in the afternoon on a Saturday – he should be home at that time, she thought. When there was no answer, she knocked again.

"I'm coming." He grumbled from the other side. Sakura's stomach started up with nausea again. She glared at Syaoran and pushed her way in when he opened the door. She walked into the living room and dumped his belongings on the floor.

"Look…" She began to fiddle around with her hands, "We can't to this-" She was cut off as Syaoran roughly pushed her against the wall and started kissing her. All thoughts of breaking it off with him fled her mind.

"Do what?" He asked, pausing for a breath.

"I hate you." Sakura growled, pulling him in for another kiss. Syaoran smirked against her mouth.

"No you don't." He said gruffly, sitting her down on the couch. Sakura's eyes snapped open and she pushed him off of her.

"No!" She shook her head and took fistfuls of her hair in her hands. "No, we can't do this anymore! Tomoyo knows!" Syaoran looked at her with wide eyes.

"You told her?" He asked in disbelief. Sakura nodded miserably.

"I didn't mean to. It just happened-" She was cut off by Syaoran's lips again. "Syaoran, I thought I said-" Another kiss. She gave in, letting him kiss and touch her. This was the last time. The last time she'd let it happen. Then they were done for good.

"Come on." He said gruffly, lifting her up and carrying her bridal style into his bedroom. This was what it was like every time she came over. They would make out on the couch and then have sex in Syaoran's room. Syaoran placed her on his bed and climbed on top of her again.

Syaoran didn't know why he didn't want to stop the affair. He guessed that it had become such a habit that he would be kind of lost without something to take up his time. So, as his hands roamed Sakura's body, he cast the thought aside and concentrated on what he was doing.

Sakura was now shirtless. Her legs were wrapped around his waist while his arms were holding him from falling and crushing her. Her hands were going up and down his arms, raising his fine arm hairs in their wake. She shivered as Syaoran began kissing her neck. She sucked in a gasp as one of his hands grazed her extra-sensitive-as-of-late breasts.

Sakura peeled Syaoran's shirt off and revealed the God-like body he kept hidden under uniforms that were two sizes too big. She briefly wondered why he hid himself at school, but the thought was tossed out of her mind a brief second later.

Syaoran decided to do something that Sakura would surely kill him for. He began to suckle and nip her neck in a place that he knew to be particularly sensitive – and _visible_ – marking her with yet another hickey. He'd never been game enough before, but he wanted to know what it would look like out in the open. Syaoran almost laughed at the ass whooping he knew was going to come when she regained her mind. But for now, he ignored it as he listened to her moaning.

"Syao… Syaoran…" Her eyes closed as she felt the familiar sensation on a new part of her neck. She distantly knew she was going to have to kill him later, but she just responded to her body's urge as she submitted to his touch. This felt too good to ignore. Why should she deny herself one last time?

Syaoran smirked as he heard her moan his name. She was one of those people who could turn you on by just calling out your name in the street. Hearing his name come from her like that… was indescribable. It blew his mind every time.

He grunted as she shifted underneath him and ended up, somehow, straddling him. She kissed down his chest to his navel and back up again. He shuddered under her feather-light body as he felt himself go hard.

'_What am I doing?_' Sakura thought, '_I can't do this! I made a promise to my friend! I shouldn't even _be_ here! I should be at home, talking to Tomoyo on the phone!_'

"No." Sakura scrambled off him, "No." She hugged her shirt to her chest, shaking her head violently. "No more." Syaoran sat up, glaring at her through cold eyes.

"So you've finally decided that I'm not good enough, huh?" He said mockingly, "Found someone else better already, have you?" Sakura had her shirt on by now, "Well, go on, get it over with so I can get back to my normal, Sakura-free, _happy_ life." He waved at her to continue. For the second time in twenty-four hours, Sakura slapped him.

"You're such a fucking bastard!" Sakura screamed at the top of her lungs, "You don't deserve to fucking live! I don't ever want to see you again!" She turned around and stomped out.

"Trust me!" Syaoran called after her from his room, "The feeling's mutual! At least this way I don't have to look at your ugly face anymore!" Sakura froze at the front door. She took a deep, steadying breath, and counted to ten. Then, after she exhaled, she slammed the door behind her, making the photos on the mantle shake.

Sakura walked home alone, with angry tears threatening to spill. A distant ache reminded her of the brand new mark on her neck. She sighed angrily and let her hair out to hide it. She'd cover it properly with concealer when she got home.

Damn Syaoran. Damn him to hell. Sakura was in such a state because of him. Why did he have to be so… cold? He could have just shrugged it off and let her go on with her life, but the insults were just too much. She could have walked away without regrets if he hadn't insulted her… right? No, Sakura shook her head, she wouldn't have.

It hurt. It hurt so much. She didn't know why it hurt so badly. There was no emotional investment in the relationship, she knew that. So _why_ did it hurt?

Syaoran was an asshole. Sakura scowled. He was an asshole. She kept repeating that to herself, but it didn't help her any. It still hurt. Sakura sighed as her cell rang from her pocket.

"Kinomoto Sakura speaking." She answered it dully, still walking down the street.

"Saku, Hun?" Tomoyo asked worriedly, "Are you ok, sweetie?"

"I'm fine." Sakura sighed, walking past Tomoyo's house. She stopped in front of her gate. "Can I come in? Or are you out?"

"Come in Sweetie, I'll buzz you." There was a buzzing sound as the gate sprung open. Sakura thanked Tomoyo and hung up the phone as she began to trudge up the footpath. Tomoyo met her at the front door.

"Did you…?"

"It's done."

"Good." Tomoyo nodded, steering her upstairs to her room. Sakura collapsed onto one of the beanbags with a sigh. Tomoyo noticed and was immediately by her side. "What's wrong Saku?"

Sakura felt sick. It was so sudden; she didn't know what set it off. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. Instead of going away, the sickness got so bad that she bolted up and into Tomoyo's private bathroom. Tomoyo followed, concerned, to find her best friend heaving up her lunch into the toilet bowl.

"Are you ok, Saku? Go and get a drink." Tomoyo said when Sakura emerged. Sakura nodded and headed straight for the fridge to get something strong to take away the taste of the vomit.

"I'm fine." Sakura gasped in a breath as she drank. "Nothing to worry about. I guess I just ate too much at lunchtime."

"What did you eat?" Tomoyo asked incredulously. No matter _how_ much Sakura ate, she _never_ got sick.

"Uh… a hamburger, fries, a chicken sandwich, and… uh… oh yeah! Two bowls of ice-cream." Sakura listed off the top of her head and frowned. "I didn't even _like_ half of the stuff I ate, either. I just really… _wanted_ it."

"Why?" Tomoyo asked, biting her lip. She looked her friend over. She remembered thinking that she had been eating a lot in the last few weeks. Was she sick?

"I don't know." Sakura shrugged. "I must be due for my monthly, I guess. I usually eat more when I'm due. Plus I bloat more." She lifted the front of her shirt, showing Tomoyo the areas where she was bloated. "It's nothing serious."

"Yeah…" Tomoyo frowned. "Yeah… you're probably right. When was your last monthly?"

"Four weeks ago…" Sakura frowned, thinking, "Maybe it was five… or six…" She shrugged. "I'm never regular. Sometimes I go two months without one. I saw the doctor three months ago, it's nothing to worry about." Tomoyo frowned. Something was up.

"Do you… want something to eat, Sakura?" She asked warily. Sakura frowned before making up her mind.

"Well… I _would_ like some fish and lemon. Which is weird, because I don't like fish _or_ lemon… Especially when they're together."

"Well, let's go buy some, then." Tomoyo grabbed Sakura's hand, and dragged her out the door, "And on the way back, I need to stop at the Drug Store." Sakura allowed herself to be dragged down the street by her friend.

**SYAORAN**

"Syaoran, are you there?" His mother barked over the phone, "Son, you must learn to pay attention to your mother when she's talking to you!"

"Yes Mom." He sighed. His mind kept drifting back to Sakura. It was overcast outside now. It would start to rain any second. Was she at home yet? He hoped she didn't get sick.

Whoa! Where did _that_ come from?

He hoped she got tuck out in the rain. He hoped she caught pneumonia and ended up in hospital. He scowled and tried to listen to his mother, who was mid-sentence.

"… So I'll need you to pick me up from the airport tomorrow." Syaoran gave a start and interrupted her.

"Wait! What?" He spluttered, "You're coming _here_?"

"Weren't you listening at me at all?" His mother barked. "With your last sister off and married, I'm home alone all the time. I'm _moving in_ with you, you ignorant boy! I'll need you to pick me up tomorrow afternoon, understood?"

"Yes, Mom." He sighed.

"If you give me that 'yes, Mom' crap while I'm there, I'm going to box your ears!" His mother threatened. "Good bye. I love you, Son." She hung up on him, not giving him a chance to say goodbye.

"Oh shit." He muttered, leaning back on his bed.

**SAKURA**

"Ready?" She asked Tomoyo impatiently as she came out of the drug store, "What have you got?" She asked, eyeing the brown paper bag. Tomoyo whipped out the box it contained with a flourish.

"A home pregnancy test." She whispered, handing it to Sakura, "I think I might be pregnant." Sakura almost shrieked.

"Oh my God! Tomoyo! Oh my God!" She kept repeating as Tomoyo dragged her back to her manor and into her bedroom.

"Sakura…" Tomoyo mentally gulped for the lying she was preparing to do. "I'm scared… can you take it with me? Just so I know I'm not the only one. I know you're not pregnant, but it's more for moral support, you know? _Please_?" She begged. Sakura sighed with a smile.

"Of course, if it'll help. Want me to do it first?" Tomoyo nodded. Sakura grabbed the box and went into the bathroom.

"Oh God…" Tomoyo prayed, "Please let me be wrong… Please don't let her be pregnant…" She muttered as Sakura closed the door. "And if she is… please let her forgive me for tricking her into taking the test…"

**

* * *

Well, that was it. What do you guys want? Should she be pregnant or not? Plus, Syaoran's mother is coming… should make it interesting, right? A maybe-pregnant-maybe-not Sakura, and Yelan coming to town. Plus, Fujitaka will make his entrance next chappie. I'm thinking that Eriol might, too… Maybe.**

**I'll try to update soon, but it will take maybe two weeks. I'll try for earlier, but it depends on how much my exams take outta me.**

**REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter Four

**Hey, guys. I've been working my butt off in my spare time to write this for you guys, so sorry if it's not up to standard. But I have only one exam left and it doesn't really require a lot of study.**

**But a LOT of you guys supported the pregnant idea. A lotta people also asked me to make Tomoyo pregnant. I won't deny that it would be a good idea… but then Tomoyo and Eriol probably wouldn't get together if I did, _so_ you can see my reasoning behind that, right? Eriol will make an appearance somewhere along the line in the story… I hope.**

**I did some research as well to try to make the symptoms seem realistic. I'm following a really basic guide here so please don't get uppity at me. Not all the details will be perfect, considering I've never been pregnant (I'm only JUST 16 here, come on…).**

**Oh, I don't think I've mentioned their ages either… they're 18. Both of them. They're in the final quarter of the twelfth grade, which here is about 9 weeks. So the story should probably be racing towards that point for a while then hopefully I can slow it down a bit. I hope. (Crosses fingers)**

**Enjoy the chapter!

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**

**Parents?**

It was not possible.

No way.

No way in _Hell_!

So what was going _on_?

Those thoughts were running through Sakura's mind as she stared at the test in her hands. Tomoyo bounded over to her in happiness.

"I'm so happy I'm not pregnant!" She exclaimed, and then noticed that Sakura wasn't paying attention. "Sakura? Sakura, what is it?" Sakura shoved the test into Tomoyo's hands.

"_Positive_?" Tomoyo shrieked. "What the _Hell_?"

"No…" Sakura's eyes watered. "No… No! _No_!" She shrieked, "Tomoyo, what am I gonna do? I just broke if off with Syaoran! What if he denies it? What if he denies my baby! I _can't_ have an abortion! My dad won't let me! Oh my God! Dad! What's he gonna say when he finds out? And Touya!" She was hysterical. Tomoyo grabbed the girl by the shoulders and shook her to calm her down.

"We'll… we'll think of something." Tomoyo assured her. "I promise you, Sakura. And… well… if Syaoran denies it, then I'll personally castrate him so he can't have any more children!" Sakura freaked out more.

"Oh my God!" She cried, sinking to the floor in sobs. "I'm having a baby… I'm having a _baby_ Tomoyo! As in a _person_! I am going to be responsible for a _person_!" Tomoyo bit her lip.

"Yeah…" She did the math in he head. Even if Sakura was four weeks along – that was as far as she could be since she had a period six weeks ago, Tomoyo had learnt from her parenting class – there was still eight months to go. And only two and a half of those were school. She could still graduate… _right_?

"This isn't happening!" Sakura wailed, throwing herself out of the bathroom and into Tomoyo's room. She plopped down on the bed, face first. "This isn't fair!" Tomoyo sat down next to her crying best friend. Sakura was like a sister to Tomoyo. She wasn't gonna let her go through this alone.

"I'll be here for you, Sakura…" Tomoyo whispered, lying down next to her and pulling her into a hug as she cried to sleep.

NEXT DAY 

Syaoran was waiting at the airport when he saw a flash of auburn and green. He turned his head to the side out of instinct, searching for the familiar girl.

He spotted her a few feet away, looking down at her feet. He noted that her eyes were red rimmed – presumably from crying. His eyebrows furrowed. What happened? He fought his way through the bustling airport to her side. She didn't notice him until he spoke.

"Kinomoto." He commented dryly. Her head shot up to look at him, a deep crimson blush staining her cheeks. That was odd.

"L-Li." She greeted with a slight nod.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked coldly. "You're acting weird, even for _you_." Not, of course, that he cared.

"It's…" Her hands flew to her abdomen. "It's nothing…" Syaoran, ever perceptive, noticed.

"Abdominal pain?" He questioned. Sakura shook her head. "Stomach cramps?"

"It's _nothing_!" Sakura yelled, making people stare at them. "I thought you hated me anyway. Why do you care?" He was saved from answering by a call from not far behind him.

"Syaoran!" Syaoran turned to see his mother rushing towards them. To his complete mortification, she crushed him in a huge hug when he reached them. "And who might you be, young lady? Are you Syaoran's girlfriend?" Syaoran almost choked.

"Hell no! She's-"

"I'm a classmate." Sakura smiled at the older woman. "My name's Kinomoto Sakura. It's nice to meet you, Mrs Li." She shook hands with the woman. "I'm waiting here for my father. His flight just arrived, so I should be going. Bye." She said, unusually cheerfully, as she walked off into the opposite direction. Syaoran ignored his mother as he watched her retreating form, his eyes lingering on her back where her stomach would be on her front.

Oh shit. Something was wrong. He just knew it.

OoOoOoOoOoO 

Sakura collapsed onto her bed.

She'd just told her father about her – gulp – pregnancy. He had taken the news remarkably well, in fact. Instead of doing what any _normal_ father would do – get out the shotgun and demand to know where the father of the baby was – he simply smiled and pulled her into a big hug.

Of course, he'd asked all the normal questions; did she want to keep the baby? Did she want an abortion? Did she know who the father was? Things like that. Sakura had blushed the entire time. She told him that she was keeping the baby, and yes, she knew who the father was but didn't want to tell him because they were on bad terms. Her father swallowed all of it.

"You really should tell him, Sakura." Fujitaka opened Sakura's bedroom door slightly, leaning on the frame.

"I don't want to." Sakura murmured, not lifting her face.

"It's not about what you want to do, Sakura." Fujitaka sighed, coming in to sit on the edge of Sakura's bed. "It's about what's right. I've never known you to be selfish in your entire life. Don't start now. Especially with something so big. It's just not like you."

"Selfish?" Sakura squeaked, sitting up in a flash, "I'm being selfish?" Fujitaka eyed her.

"By not telling the poor boy he's going to have a baby?" Fujitaka ignored Sakura's snort at the word 'poor'. "By not telling the baby who it's father is? It's extremely selfish, Sakura."

"He hates me, Dad." Sakura wrapped her arms around her knees and sat with her back against the wall. "And I hate him. We're both better off if he doesn't know."

"But he won't hate his own child, will he?" Fujitaka challenged. "How could he hate his own flesh and blood?" _That_ caught Sakura's attention. _Would_ he hate the baby? She'd never actually seen him talk to other people. He always kept his head down and took all the abuse quietly at school. She was the only person he'd ever spoken to in front of her.

"I…" Sakura frowned. "I don't know." She admitted.

"Give the boy a chance." Fujitaka said quietly. "Maybe he doesn't hate you as much as you think." He got up and left the room.

"I highly doubt it." Sakura muttered to herself as he closed the door.

OoOoOoOoOoO 

"And you can't go to school dressed in these… these _things_!" His mother clucked, taking the uniforms out of the laundry and examining them. "I'll have to go into the mall and buy you things that actually _fit_."

"No, Mother! They fit fine!" Syaoran barked, snatching the clothes from his mother's hands. "I've already told you that I _don't need your help_! I've lived here alone for two years now! I don't _need_ anyone to molly-coddle me!"

"Well, I never!" His mother huffed indignantly. "Syaoran, I really pity your future children, with that temper of yours. Especially if you go around snapping at them like _that_ all the time!"

"Well, luckily I probably won't ever get the chance to have children." Syaoran muttered, slamming his bedroom door closed behind him. His mother sighed, picking up the phone and dialling a number.

"Hello, it's Li Yelan here." She answered when it picked up on the other end. "No, no everything's fine. How are you?"

OoOoOoOoOoO 

"… That's a lovely idea, Yelan!" Sakura heard her father over the phone. "I'm sure I can make time tomorrow. Lovely. See you then. Goodbye." He hung up.

"An old friend?" She asked, sitting at the table, watching her father cook dinner. He nodded with a smile on his face.

"A Chinese lady that your mother used to model with." He nodded towards that day's picture. Kinomoto Nadeshiko, Sakura's deceased mother, smiled back up at them, with her arm around a taller, paler woman. This picture was special to Sakura and her father, since it was the only photo they had of Nadeshiko that was put on display that was a completely casual one – that meant no modelling involved. Just a picture of two friends.

"I love that photo." Sakura murmured, "I always wondered who the other woman was."

"Her name is Li Yelan." Fujitaka smiled. "She was Chang Yelan before she got married. When she married the Li man and got pregnant, she had to quit. She was your mother's best friend right up until the end. Unfortunately, since your Mom's death, Yelan and I lost contact." Fujitaka sighed sadly.

Sakura smiled at the picture. The woman looked strangely familiar, but Sakura had seen the picture about a thousand times.

"I don't know what to do." Sakura groaned, putting her head down on the table.

"About what?"

"About everything." Sakura sighed. "I'm still having a hard time believing it."

"Maybe we should see a doctor to confirm it." Her father sat across from her. "Those home tests aren't always reliable, you know."

"So…" Sakura looked up. "You… don't trust the test?" She blurted out. "There's a chance I might not be pregnant?"

"I must admit that I don't really trust the tests, no." Her father gave a lopsided grin. "The kept coming back negative for your mother while she was pregnant with you. It drove her almost to the point of madness. You'd be surprised how relieved she was when the doctor told her she was pregnant – even though she didn't really plan for another baby. Before she was told, she thought she was dieing." They laughed.

"Oh, wait." Sakura stopped laughing. "Is this where Mom's pregnancy stories start?"

"I guess so." Fujitaka and Sakura laughed. Sakura stopped abruptly, yawning.

"Wow, I don't know where that came from." She sighed, "I'm so tired."

"It's been a long day." Her father nodded, "Go upstairs and have a nap. I'll wake you when dinner's ready. It should be an hour."

"Thanks." Sakura went upstairs and into her bedroom. Lying down, she found that, no matter how tired she was, she could not sleep.

"Either I'm over tired…" Sakura said to herself, placing a hand on her lower abdomen, and sighed. "Or you're already screwin' with me after four weeks." She attempted to smile. Who cared – she told herself – if it was Syaoran's baby? She was going to be a Mom!

And that thought scared her more than anything.

* * *

**Hehe! I thought I'd make the chapter title have a more literal meaning to it. I just added the question mark to have an effect on the Sakura and Syaoran's situation. **

BTW: I kinda took the whole 'Fujitaka's Reaction' thing from my friend's dad. Yeah… just thought I'd share that with you.

**Well… review! The button is right there!**


	5. Chapter Five

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in the last little while but I didn't wanna do it while the site was screwing up… In fact, the Document Manager STILL isn't letting me upload… it took me TWO DAYS of stuffing around before I figured that I could export older chapters into the DM and copy the new chapters into them… (sigh) But thankfully it worked! **

**This update is LARGELY due to the nagging of dancingwindforever for about… (thinks) an hour and a half the other night? I think… **

**Remember our deal, dancingwind… **

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter… I can't really think of anything else I need to say… I'm too tired at the moment… (yawns) And stressed… can't forget stressed…

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**Something of Yours **

**Chapter 5 **

**Tell! No! **

The next two weeks were a blur. Sakura tried her best to cope with adjusting. The news hadn't felt so real until the doctor confirmed it a week ago. The morning sickness struck as soon as she woke up in the morning, usually followed by dizziness and irritability. She had snapped at her father and Tomoyo more times than she could count.

It was getting harder and harder to hide from Syaoran's mother, who she now saw on a regular basis. It turned out that Nadeshiko and Yelan had grown up together in Tokyo, but Fujitaka had parted ways with Yelan shortly after Nadeshiko's death. She had a sneaking suspicion that Yelan knew abut her pregnancy, and was praying to God that she didn't mention it to Syaoran.

"Miss Kinomoto…" She heard the teacher from far off. "Miss Kinomoto. _Kinomoto_!" Sakura jumped awake with a start, blushing furiously. She'd fallen asleep in the middle of class. Though she would have liked to blame it on the fatigue she had been experiencing during the last few weeks because of her pregnancy, she had fallen asleep in this class – Chemistry – numerous times. Now she was in trouble, and it was only the first period of the first day back.

"I'm sorry, Sir." Sakura mumbled, picking up her pen and staring at the blackboard. The teacher sighed, knowing that there was nothing to be done now – she knew the drill. The second she put her head down to write, the door slammed open with a panting man in the frame. Sakura looked up and gasped.

In the doorway was Li Syaoran. The school nerd. Looking _hot_! He'd changed his appearance, all right. Sakura's face flushed an even more brilliant red as he sat down next to her – he was her assigned lab partner. She kept her head down and continued writing, ignoring him. The teacher sighed, writing out a tardy slip for Li. He didn't even bother to ask why he was late.

**OoOoOoOoOoO **

He was so damn pissed at his mother. She had gone _behind his back_, replacing all his baggy school clothes with ones his proper size. She had destroyed his glasses, meaning he had no choice but to wear the contacts she handed to him two seconds later.

She had refused to let him out of the house with his hair gelled down, so Syaoran had to have a shower to remove the sticky substance. She had insisted on running a small amount through his hair when she had seen the final product. The result was tamed, yet wild at the same time. Not to mention the extra shower had meant that he had to run to school and arrive late – resulting in the tardy slip the teacher had just placed on his desk.

He eyed Sakura from the corner of his eyes. She was blushing furiously and seemed to be having trouble breathing. He frowned to himself. She'd seen him numerous times in more revealing things than _this_, so why was she freaking out? Not that he cared.

He also happened to notice all the girls making calves eyes at him. He was disgusted that all it took to get their attention was a change in appearance.

"Excuse me, you're leaning on my book…" Sakura's meek little voice came from the side. His head snapped around to look at her. She was looking petrified of being in his presence. He slowly moved his elbow so she could move her book. "Thank you." She said quietly.

The class started up with its usual chatter, though today's gossip seemed to be about _him_. He had to swallow to keep the vomit down. These people made him sick.

**OoOoOoOoOoO **

"Have you told-"

"No. And I'm not going to tell him." Sakura cut across Tomoyo as she spoke. "Or anyone for that matter. We'll be out of here in nine weeks. I'll only be _just_ starting to show then, so it doesn't really matter. I can move away and never come back. No one has to know. Especially _him_." She grimaced at the mention of her baby's father.

"He should know." Tomoyo sighed.

"You're only saying that because you think he's hot." Sakura rolled her eyes. Tomoyo flushed pink. "I told you he wasn't really _that_ repulsive." She giggled. Tomoyo didn't find it very funny.

"Oh ha-_ha_." Tomoyo said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "You're very funny, Sakura."

"I know." Sakura faked an airy voice as she leant against the tree trunk, "Isn't it great?"

"Fantastic." Tomoyo sighed, sitting down on the grass, patting the spot next to her. Sakura slid down to join her on the grass, opening her lunchbox. "But seriously Sakura, _how_ could he hide himself like that? _Why_?"

"No idea." Sakura shrugged. "But do we have to discuss him?"

"It's either him or the baby." Tomoyo shrugged. She read Sakura's answer on her face, and continued. "I mean, he's just so… _hot_!"

"You mentioned." Sakura sighed, eating a biscuit. "Trust me, Tomoyo, I know more than anyone. I also happen to know that he's the world's biggest bastard. Don't mess with him. He's going to eat those other girls alive. Let's just hope none of them go drinking with him."

"Is that how-?" Tomoyo didn't need to finish her question. Sakura knew what she was asking.

"Yeah." She sighed, feeling herself go off her food. "We got piss-drunk on tequila that his neighbour – a senile old man – had given him for his eighteenth birthday a few months ago that he just hadn't opened. I woke up the next morning in bed with him, which _never_ happened before – because I had never stayed the night – naked and hung over. I puked up in the bathroom before going home. I never really thought about it. We'd always used protection before, so I assumed that one of us had remembered in the middle of our drunken stupor." She snorted. "I guess not."

"I guess…" Tomoyo looked down the yard and spotted something that made her eyebrows crease. "He's watching you. Do you think he knows?" Sakura followed Tomoyo's eyes to find that Li _was_ staring at her. As soon as she turned to face him, the stare became a scowl as he looked away. Sakura shivered.

"How could he? I've only told you and Dad." Sakura sighed. "And Dad doesn't even know who the father is. He wouldn't know unless you told anyone."

"I didn't, I swear."

"Well then he doesn't know."

OoOoOoOoOoO 

He watched as Sakura and Tomoyo discussed something. He had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach when he looked at Sakura. A sense of impending doom. A weight that was going to be dropped on his shoulders at any time now.

But _what_?

Syaoran was incredibly perceptive for a man. He could often pick up on small things that others could not – such as the way Sakura kept holding onto her abdomen, or looking at what he assumed to be her feet. He read the look of fear and disbelief that shined in her eyes for the world to see. Something was happening.

Again; not that he cared.

He was perplexed. For someone who hated the woman, he spent an awful lot of time staring at her. He scowled at himself as she turned around, spotting him. He turned his head and looked elsewhere.

"I need a life." He massaged his temples. He cast his eyes around the playground to see students from all grades doing various things. Sitting around and chatting, playing tonsil-hockey with boyfriends or girlfriends, and playing a sport seemed to be the top three choices.

"Heads!" A random student yelled out. Syaoran whipped around to see a soccer ball flying at him at waist height. Syaoran rolled his eyes. Using the skills he learnt in all of his martial arts classes as a child, his foot made contact with the ball and stopped it, before he sent it flying straight back. The guys on the soccer field whooped, impressed.

"Come play, man!" One of the guys yelled from the field. Syaoran shook his head. "Aww, c'mon! We need another attacker!" Syaoran shook his head again. "Was that just a fluke, man?" Syaoran growled.

"No, it most certainly was _not_!" He yelled back.

"Prove it!"

"Fine, where do you want me?" He sighed. Guess he just found something to do after all.

OoOoOoOoOoO 

"I'm so glad today is over…" Sakura sighed, sinking into Tomoyo's bed. "If I had to spend one more hour on campus, I woulda…"

"Fallen asleep." Tomoyo flopped down next to her. "I know the feeling."

"No you don't. Not the one I'm feeling." Tomoyo was speechless. Sakura sighed. "I'm sorry."

"No, no. It's ok." Tomoyo waved it off, "You're right." She brightened a bit. "You want some popcorn while we study?" Sakura nodded.

"Sure, thanks." She said, grabbing their book-bags and followed Tomoyo down the stairs. She set up at the dining table as Tomoyo put the popcorn in the microwave to 'pop'. Sakura's stomach turned at the scent wafting through the kitchen and into the dining room.

"Are you ok?" Tomoyo asked, seeing Sakura screw up her nose and place a hand over her mouth. Sakura shook her head.

"I think I'm gonna puke!" Sakura exclaimed, rushing towards the nearest bathroom. Tomoyo followed worriedly.

"What set it off?" She asked, holding Sakura's hair back as her face disappeared into the toilet bowl.

"The smell." Sakura said weakly. "No popcorn. Please." She was shaking. Tomoyo sighed.

"Ok, no popcorn."

"I'm sorry Tomoyo." Sakura said a few minutes later, slumping at the table with a drink in her hand. "But the doctor says its normal for certain smells to make me sick. I can't be around my dad now because of his aftershave. So he's had to stop wearing it, and I feel really bad, cause it was my Mom's favourite smell." She sighed, "I'm causing everyone trouble."

"It's no problem." Tomoyo waved her off as she was doing his homework. "It's not like any of this is your fault. But you know, you should really tell-"

"Li?" Sakura cut across miserably. "I've already told you that I'm not gonna. You've been bugging me all day about it. My answer is still the same. No."

"Look, Sakura…" Tomoyo sighed, setting aside her homework, "I don't like Li. I don't like the situation you're in. I don't like the idea that my best friend is going to be struggling with a baby _on her own_ in a matter of only about seven months. I don't like that Li is the father of your baby, but that's beside the point! The point is that he is biologically connected to that baby, and he has a right to know!"

"I know." Sakura's eyes began to grow watery. "I know, but I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"That he'll reject me." Sakura buried her face in her hands. "I mean, not as a partner, cause I don't want him anymore." Her mind, meanwhile, was screaming '_liar!_' as she said this. "But I'm afraid that he'll deny the baby; and then what? I'm on my own anyway and the baby gets to grow up asking where its daddy is. What do I say? 'Oh, sorry Kiddo, but your dad rejected you before you were born'?" She demanded. Tomoyo, for once, was silent. "That's what I thought." Sakura huffed. "I'm leaving."

She grabbed her textbook and book-bag, and walked out the front door. Tomoyo watched her walk up the footpath with a scowl.

"You're only gonna end up hurting yourself or the baby, Sakura…" She sighed. "I hope you realise that soon. The longer you wait, the harder it's gonna be to hide… and I don't think Li will appreciate hearing through rumours and the look of your stomach in a few weeks…"

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**Can't think of anything else I need to say, except to beg you to review… again, dancingwind… I remind you of our deal…**

**REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter Six

**W00T! We've hit 150 reviews! Thanks to _kenshinlover2002_ for posting the review that got us to that mark! I'd have to say this is the most successful story of mine so far! (huge grin) I'm aiming to beat '_Sleepover_' with this story in terms of reviews. Let's see if we can make that happen, eh?**

**Enjoy the chapter, and review please!

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**Something of Yours**

**Chapter 6**

**The Seed of Doubt**

"Come shopping with me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I have homework."

This was the sixth argument that Syaoran had with his mother over the same topic.

"Like you care about school." His mother scoffed. "Syaoran, I know very well that you can do your homework in half an hour. You have plenty of time to go shopping with me."

"I _said_ no!" Syaoran repeated, almost snapping his pencil in half. He took a deep, calming breath. It wouldn't look good to slap his mother. He had _never_ raised his hand to a woman in anger before. No matter how much she deserved it.

"Syaoran, please?" His mother begged. Syaoran stood abruptly, shocking his mother. He headed straight for the door, grabbing his keys.

"I'm going for a walk. Go shopping while I'm gone." Syaoran growled, passing Yelan in a temper. He took a deep breath as he stepped out into the hall and towards the elevator.

He needed fresh air. Badly.

**OoOoOoOoOoO **

Sakura sat on the swings, massaging her temples. She was nearing the end of her tenth week of pregnancy, and the reality of it was _finally_ sinking in. She was a quarter of the way in.

Graduation was in a five weeks, but Sakura had to survive finals first. They were next week, and she was terrified. Her hormonal imbalance had started to make her concentration worse, since she was randomly bursting out into tears for no reason at all, or cheering whenever she got a question right in class.

There were rumours that Sakura was pregnant flying around the girl's locker room the day after Sakura pulled out of her Gym class and Cheerleading. Sakura had quickly laughed off the rumours, and all of the talk went away. Though Sakura's friends just… they just knew. But they kept their mouths shut for her sake.

"I can see _you're_ really preparing for finals." A cold voice commented from behind her. Sakura shivered.

"I could say the same for you, Li." She knew him without turning around.

"I needed a break." Was the dark reply.

"I know the feeling." Sakura commented dryly. She heard a squeak as Syaoran sat on the swing next to her. She felt his eyes boring into her, burning a hole in the side of her face.

"You quit Cheerleading." Syaoran remarked, almost derogatorily. Sakura glared at him.

"_You_ joined the Soccer team. If I stayed then it would mean I'd have to cheer for _you_." She said distastefully. "I don't like the idea of that."

"It's not like you haven't called out my name before." Syaoran smirked at Sakura's reaction. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Her eyes were bulging out of her sockets and her cheeks turned an interesting shade of pink.

"Yeah well…" Sakura struggled to find a comeback. "This is different! I've woken up to myself now!" Only because of her friend. If it weren't for Tomoyo, she'd probably still be warming his bed. Sakura blushed at the thought.

"You know you loved it." He stood up and stood behind her. His warm fingers came into contact with the cool skin on her neck. She shivered as he traced them up and down her neckline. She almost moaned when he drew his mouth close to her ear, and whispered. "Don't bother to deny it. We both know the truth."

And, just like that, he stopped.

"Wha-what was that for?" Sakura asked, feeling all flustered. She hadn't felt like that for weeks. Not since the last time… Syaoran smirked.

"Just a little _fun_." He smirked as she blushed again. "Kinomoto, you know pink really _is_ your colour." He quipped, before turning on his heel and walking off.

"Li?" Sakura got up and followed him. He turned around to face her.

_SLAP_!

"Say that to me again and I'll get my brother to kick the shit outta you." She threatened, stomping off in the other direction.

"I'd like to see him try!" Syaoran yelled out smugly. Sakura huffed, ignoring him. He wouldn't admit it, but that _hurt_!

**OoOoOoOoOoO **

"You _talked_ to him?" Tomoyo asked incredulously. Sakura nodded. "Did you tell him?" Sakura shook her head. Tomoyo frowned. "Why?" They both sat on Sakura's bed. It was about ten on Friday night, and Tomoyo was spending the night over.

"Because he's a suggestive bastard and I don't think he has a right to be anywhere near _my_ baby." Sakura snarled.

"He has _every_ right, Sakura." Tomoyo sighed, knowing her friend was going to be mega-angry with her. "It's _his_ baby too."

"He's just a sperm donor." Sakura said icily. "I don't need him."

"I think you need him more than you realise." Tomoyo shook her head in exasperation. "Sakura, I know he's a lotta bad things, but I don't think he's irresponsible." Sakura glared at Tomoyo.

"Whose side are you on?" She demanded, "Mine or his?"

"I'm on the baby's side." Tomoyo wrapped an arm around Sakura's shoulder. "Sakura, a baby need's its father. No matter how absent he may be."

"I'll find someone better." Sakura sighed. "Besides, it'll have a grandpa and an uncle there. Why would we need the father?" Tomoyo sighed.

"I'm sure your dad and Touya will make great male role models." Tomoyo waved it off. "But it's not the same. Take it from someone who knows." Sakura glared at her friend. She knew Tomoyo had grown up without her father.

"But you turned out perfectly!" Sakura burst out. "You grew up without your dad and you're perfectly fine!"

"No I'm not." Tomoyo took Sakura's hands in her own and looked her in the eye. "I have deep-rooted abandonment issues. My father was never there, and my mother told me it was because he didn't want to be there. So I tracked him down six months ago. He said he'd never heard of me before. So now Mom and I are fighting because she lied to me all these years. Do you want that to happen to your baby?" Sakura shook her head.

"I'll say he's dead or something." She tried. Tomoyo clucked her tongue.

"Whatever, Sakura." She sighed, sliding onto the mattress on the floor. "Whatever you say. It's your choice. I can't _force_ you to tell him."

"Thanks." Sakura sighed, settling into her bed. She turned off the lamp and the room was thrown into darkness, with only the moonlight casting a glow into the room. About ten minutes later, she called out tentively. "Tomoyo?"

"Yeah?"

"… Nothing… Don't worry."

"No." There was a rustling that indicated Tomoyo had sat up. "What is it?"

"I…" Sakura frowned. Tomoyo could make out her features in the moonlight, but only vaguely. "Do you really think it's best for him to know?"

"Yes." Tomoyo answered without hesitation.

"Well… I'll… I'll think about it." Sakura sighed.

"Good idea." Tomoyo laid back down.

"I'm not making any promises." Sakura was quick to put in.

"I know." Tomoyo sighed.

"I probably still wont." Sakura admitted.

"At least think about it." Tomoyo begged.

"I will."

**OoOoOoOoOoO **

"I met up with Mr Kinomoto today." Yelan slipped into the room, watching Syaoran intently as he assaulted the punching bag.

"Sakura Kinomoto's father?" Syaoran grunted, throwing another punch.

"Yes. She's looking rather sick these days." His mother commented conversationally. "Always looking rather pale. She keeps assuring me that it's just a stomach bug. Poor thing. I think she might be pregnant." Syaoran missed his next punch.

"_What_?" He demanded, whirling around to face her. Yelan saw Syaoran's eye bulging out of his sockets and his jaw drop.

"The poor dear looks like she's pregnant." She shrugged, "There is every possibility that I'm wrong. I'm not a doctor."

"Kinomoto…" Syaoran sighed. "I don't think Kinomoto is pregnant."

"How would you know?" His mother was quick to reply. Syaoran caught himself from stuttering his next sentence.

"She just doesn't seem like the type to… you know…" He turned away and punched the bag, picking up his lost rhythm.

"To have sex?" His mother prodded. "How would you know? Did you make an advance that she turned down?" Syaoran flushed, but kept punching. If asked, he would blame it on the exercise. Either way, that was definitely _not_ the case.

"No." He said gruffly, "But I've seen other guys make advances." He paused punching for a second, before starting up again. "She denied them all."

"Maybe she fell in love then." His mother shrugged. "Either way, just because she turned down a few men, doesn't mean she'll turn down everyone."

"Whatever you say, Mom. Whatever you say."

**OoOoOoOoOoO **

Syaoran glared up at the ceiling. His mom's suggestion about Sakura being pregnant was stuck in his mind, plaguing him. He rolled to his side to read the luminous numbers of the alarm clock on his bed stand. One am. He growled.

It wasn't possible, he told himself. If she _was_ pregnant, she would have told him by now… Right?

'_You never know…_' His mind tormented him. '_Think about it. She's been acting weird for the last few weeks._' But they'd always used protection! '_There was one time…_' Only once! '_Once is enough._' He sighed in frustration. '_Unless the baby isn't yours…_' But Sakura – as much as he hated to admit it – was no slut. Syaoran sat up and punched his pillow. He pummelled it for several minutes.

'_If she was, why wouldn't she tell me?_' Maybe she was afraid? '_Afraid of what? That I wouldn't take responsibility?_' He sighed angrily as he laid back down, starting to glare at the ceiling again.

Li Syaoran may have been a lot of bad things, but he was _not_ irresponsible.

**

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Hehe… the seed of Doubt has been sown… Not let the games begin! (cough) **

**Ahem! How'd you like? I'd appreciate reviews!**


	7. Chapter Seven

**Hey guys. Sorry for the wait, but I'm so damn nervous about getting my report tomorrow it's been affecting my writing. Anywho, here's the next chappie and I hope you enjoy!

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**Something of Yours**

**Chapter 7**

**Heavy Discussion**

This was awkward. Very awkward. And scary. Very scary.

Touya looked like he was about to explode any second. His eyes were closed, his jaw was clenched, his hands were balled up into fists, and there was a vein throbbing in his forehead. He took in a deep breath and glanced at Fujitaka. Their father seemed to get the message and left for the kitchen, excusing himself quietly.

"Who's the father?" Touya asked steadily; darkly. Sakura looked away.

"No one." She stumbled over her own words. "No one important."

"Sakura…" Touya said in a threatening tone. "Tell me who the bastard is _now_. Dad might be a big softie with you, but I _wont be_!" He was on his feet now. "Tell me who the goddamn father is!"

"No!" Sakura rocketed to her feet too. "Touya, he doesn't know about this baby and he wont! _Ever_! I'm eighteen! I can control my _own_ life! I don't need you to go out and beat the crap outta some stupid guy that isn't worth it anyway! I just need my family right now! That's all I'm asking for!" She ran out of the room in tears.

Touya sank into the couch with his head in his hands. He let out a frustrated groan and sank backwards.

"_Fuck_."

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Tomoyo was walking aimlessly around Tomoeda, completely bored out of her mind. She was trying to find something to take her mind off the latest fight with her Mom. There was nothing she hated more than to fight with her Mother, but sometimes it was necessary.

Not watching where she was going, she crashed into someone. She stumbled over backwards, landing on her ass and her things scattered everywhere. She winced and, after about two minutes of feeling her bottom for bruises, sat up and prepared to pick up all her things. However, looking up, she discovered her bag being held out to her with its contents replaced neatly. Tomoyo looked up into deep blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, Daidouji." Hirazagawa Eriol apologised with his deep English accent, nudging the bag towards her. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Uh…" _Think, Tomoyo, think!_ "Thanks, Hirazagawa." She took her bag and accepted his offered hand. He pulled her to her feet, his strength surpassing her expectations. He was an inch taller than Tomoyo with a mop of midnight blue hair – dyed, of course, from the natural brown regrowth she could see – and the deepest blue eyes you could imagine behind round glasses. "Uh… do you wanna come get some ice cream with me?" She blurted out without thinking.

Her face was as red as a tomato. Where had that come from? He just stared at her, unblinkingly, for several seconds, before breaking out into a smile that sent Tomoyo's stomach aflutter.

"I'd love to, Daidouji." He grinned. "My treat." Tomoyo kept her head down, willing her blush to go away. They walked in silence through the streets towards the ice cream parlour a few blocks away.

Tomoyo quietly ordered her usual double vanilla scoop while Eriol ordered a caramel sundae. Despite her protests, he paid for both of their ice creams and practically verbally dragged her over to sit down. Tomoyo stared at her bowl the entire time, hating herself for blushing.

Little did she know, Eriol was having a similar experience. He was currently sitting across a table from the object of his affections for the last year and a half. The mere thought of it was enough to fluster him and make him forget everything he had lined up to say to her.

The two of them just sat there, prodding at their ice creams, not muttering a word to one another. Finally, Tomoyo got fed up with the silence.

"We don't talk much at school." She remarked. Eriol's head snapped up to look at her.

"I was under the impression you wanted nothing to do with me… so I never tried." He said sheepishly, looking down. Tomoyo's head snapped up to look at him, her blush replaced with a look of remorse.

"I'm sorry." She looked down and sullenly prodded her ice cream. "It's just that…well… my Mom doesn't really want me to associate with people outside the family or someone who isn't rich. She says I have to 'uphold the family image'. Sakura's my second cousin, so she's the only person I'm allowed to talk to around here." She scoffed.

"Hey, it's ok." Eriol waved it off with a chuckle. "I understand what it's like to have a prestigious family." Tomoyo's eyes lit up.

"Oooh, really?" Her eyes lit up with curiosity and glee. "Tell me about your family… if you want to, that is. You don't have to!" She added, mortified. Eriol chuckled.

"We're related to some very important people – sorry, I can't tell you who, though – so the media are quick to catch us out." He shrugged. "Tomoeda is the only place I've spent more than six months in since I was five."

"How come?" Tomoyo blinked. She'd spent her entire life in Tomoeda, and she couldn't imagine having to move so many times. Eriol gave her a funny look.

"Well, Tomoeda is a tightly-knit community. Everyone knows everyone else, and they protect those that live here. I guess it's cause no one has alerted the media yet – that's how they find us _every_ time."

"Ouch. That had to suck." Tomoyo's watch beeped, starling her. "Oh, crap! I have to go! Thanks for the ice cream, Hirazagawa! I guess I'll see you at school! Bye!" She rushed out of the shop, forgetting about her ice cream.

Inside, Eriol was chuckling as he helped himself to he leftover ice cream.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

"You cannot possibly condone this!" Touya shouted at his father. "She's only a child! She's-"

"Eighteen." Fujitaka cut across sternly, putting the dishes away in the cupboard. "She's not a child anymore, Touya." He sighed. "I want to know just as much as you do, but I don't think you're going about it the right way."

"What other possible way is there?" Touya demanded. "Listen, Dad, she's not going to listen to reason. My friend Akane did the same thing and look where she ended up! She's a single mother on welfare whose father disowned her!"

"But we are not going to disown Sakura." Fujitaka sounded close to angry.

"Right." Touya muttered, leaning on the kitchen counter as his father took the glasses out of the dishwasher and started to put them away.

"Touya, listen to me." Fujitaka sighed, sitting down on a stool when he had finished. Touya looked at him. "Sakura isn't good at keeping things from people. We both know this. I don't know who she's kidding by trying to hide it. She won't be able to hide her pregnancy for much longer anyway. She'll be starting to show any time now."

"So what do we do then?" Touya grunted, not meeting his father's eyes.

"We support her, that's what we do." Fujitaka looked at his son over his glasses. "There's nothing else we _can_ do. But I can tell you what we are _not_ going to do: We're _not_ going to criticise her, we're _not _going to question her, and we are _certainly_ not going to try to force her to tell us something she doesn't want to. We have to let her decide for herself, Touya. That's the way life is."

"And if she makes the wrong decision?"

"She won't." Fujitaka stood up to leave. "That's not the way Sakura is and you know it. It will all be out in the open before the end of her term. I'm sure of it."

"How can you know?" Touya growled, still finding his feet increasingly interesting.

"I know my daughter." Fujitaka smiled. "I also think that Sakura cares deeply for this young man, no matter how hard she tries to deny it. To herself or others." He cut Touya off as he opened his mouth to speak. "There is no better way to ruin a young man's opportunities than to tell him that he's going to be a father. Oh, and there is also the fact that you would personally kill him if you were to discover his identity. I don't think she wants him dead and I _certainly_ don't think she wants you in prison." He laughed. Touya had to at least grin in amusement. "No, Sakura is doing what she thinks is best… even though it may end up being for the worst. But I have faith in my little girl. She'll do the right thing in the end."

"You're right." Touya sighed. "But I can't help but go through all the '_what if_'s in my mind."

"It's worse when it's your own child, trust me." Fujitaka looked away and left the room, leaving a gaping void of silence in his wake.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Sakura laid on her side on the bed while all of that was going on. She could hear her brother's yelling and the indecipherable murmurings of her father, but she couldn't make out any of the words. After a few minutes, her brother had calmed down and the discussion was barely heard. After another ten minutes, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Sakura called, not moving from her position. The door creaked open and after about five seconds she felt the weight of someone very big lying down next to her. She rolled over to the face of her brother.

"Say the word and he's dead." He said seriously, but grinned. Sakura laughed and buried her face in his big chest, taking in the comforting scent of her big brother. Touya wrapped his arms securely around her and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry about the way I acted before." He murmured into her hair.

"It's ok." Sakura barely whispered. Touya's hold tightened.

"No it's not." He sighed into the top of her head. "I flew off the handle. I promise I'll _try_ not to do it again. But God help me, if I find out who this bastard is I'll strangle him."

"Deal." Sakura laughed.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Syaoran stared at the bottle in his hands.

His fifth beer.

"Syaoran, pour that filth down the drain!" His mother nagged from the other side of the kitchen. "You have finals tomorrow and a hangover wont help you any. Now get rid of it!"

He defiantly took another large swig.

"Syaoran, get rid of it _now_!"

He drained the bottle in one large gulp and opened a sixth.

"Syaoran get that filth out of my house this instant!" His mother screeched. Syaoran stood up and stumbled a bit, before finding his footing and stepping in front of his mother.

"This _apartment_ is mine." He slurred dangerously. "I was quite ha-_happy_ here alone until you sh-showed up you old _hag_!" He blinked a little as he suffered a massive head spin.

"Go to bed." His mother caught him as he stumbled over and almost completely lost his balance.

"_No_!" Syaoran roared, punching the wall. He ignored the pain coming from the wound that sent blood gushing over his hands and picked up the bottle, draining the whole thing in two large gulps.

He shook his head.

Something was wrong with him. Something throbbed.

Oh yeah… his fist.

His mother was clucking over his wrist, pleading with him to stop drinking for the night. He sat back down, his head in his hands as his mother rushed off to find the first aid kit. Why was he drinking in the first place? Who knows? Who _cares_?

The phone rang to his right. He picked it up with his good hand.

"Hello?" He slurred.

"Young Master Li?" A voice questioned from the other end. "I need to speak with your mother… its about your father." Syaoran' eyes grew wide as he hollered for his mother.

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**Raise your hand if you thought the chapter title meant Sakura was going to tell Syaoran about the pregnancy? Sorry, not today! XD Yeah, yeah, I know; getting too cocky for my own good.**

**(hides) I know there wasn't a lot of Sakura or Syaoran in this chapter, but there are other things happening as well! We see the beginning of a friendship between Eriol and Tomoyo, and the true perspective of Fujitaka and Touya… and the beginning of a downward spiral for one of our characters. No prizes for guessing who.**

**People keep asking when he's gonna find out about the baby. Trust me, I know exactly when, and how. I think it's kinda funny, all the suspense. XD Don't assume he will… but don't assume he wont, either.**

**Well, when one side goes up, the other goes down. Such is the nature of the scale when two different weights are placed at either end. And what's this 'Young Master' business? You may find out in the next chapter… if I feel nice enough.**

**Reviews fuel my desire to write!**


	8. Chapter Eight

**Hey, all! What's up? It's only been a week:D Less than last time, eh?**

**This chappie happens to be a Christmas pressie for you all! I felt so bad about leaving it where I did last time with hardly any Saku or Syao in it, so I wrote another one for you! I sat down and just… wrote.**

**I'll try to get another chappie out before New Year, but I'm not making any promises!

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**Something of Yours**

**Chapter 8**

**So Close, Yet So Far**

Exams were over. They were free!

Sakura was looking forward to flopping with Tomoyo under the big cherry tree in the park the day after their grade was released. Tomoyo seemed to be floating through the air, while Sakura was dragging her feet along the ground as if they were made of lead.

"And oh my _God_! He is _so _sweet!" Tomoyo was gushing. Sakura was only half listening to her friend as she watched the scene to the right of them. She had to raise an eyebrow at what was going on.

"'_He_' would be over there." She pointed toward the fiasco. Tomoyo looked over towards the large group that Sakura was pointing to and frowned.

There was a large group of girls surrounding two men on the left side of the oval. Most of them were cheap, easy girls that'd been around the block a few too many times, and they were trying to get the attention of the two young men that they had ambushed. Eriol and Syaoran.

"Well, we'll see about th-oh… Never mind." Tomoyo looked sheepishly at Sakura, knowing she didn't want to go near Syaoran if she could avoid it. Sakura waved her off with a shrug.

"I'll go home on my own. You go sort out the mess Eriol's gone and gotten himself into." She chuckled dryly. Tomoyo gave her friend a swift hug.

"Want me to rescue Li too?" She asked with an evil glint in her eye. Sakura looked at he levelly, clutching her binder to he chest harshly. She winced. That area had become particularly sensitive in the last few days due to her pregnancy, and if she wasn't careful she could put herself in real pain.

"Nah." She attempted to laugh it off. "Let him suffer." She turned to go.

"Who's suffering?" A deep voice alerted them to the presence of others. Tomoyo and Sakura spun around and gasped. Eriol and Syaoran had somehow managed to separate themselves from the, now disbanding, horde, and had come over to them.

Syaoran looked like he'd give anything to be anywhere else in the Universe than right there. Sakura herself was having a similar feeling as she willed the heat in her cheeks to go away. She was sure she was as red as a beetroot. When Syaoran's eyes brushed over her, taking in her figure, she felt the heat in her face intensify. She was so into this little spell that she didn't hear Tomoyo talking to her.

"…Sakura? Sakura!" Tomoyo pinched her. Sakura started with a jump and shook her head.

"Sorry, what?" She blinked. Tomoyo was staring at her with a twinkle in her eyes and Eriol was watching her rather strangely. Syaoran was just glaring at her as usual.

"Eriol and I are going to go get ice cream, so I'll see you later, ok?" She said in a strange voice. Sakura knew that voice. That was the voice that Tomoyo used when she was containing immense excitement. Sakura smiled her first true smile in weeks. She loved seeing her friends happy.

"No problem!" She grinned evilly. "Just call me later, ok?" Tomoyo nodded vigorously and waved as she and Eriol left Sakura and Syaoran alone.

"Kinomoto." He acknowledged her with a nod.

"Li." She murmured, not meeting his eyes. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Her next words came out of her mouth before she could stop herself. "Li," She murmured softly "We ne-"

"Here." He shoved a piece of paper into her hands, not hearing what she was saying. Sakura sighed, eerily relieved and distressed at the same time that he had stopped her from telling him about the baby. "Mother asked me to give that to you to give to your Father." She turned over the paper to find that it was an invitation.

"'_The Li Corporation Christmas Ball_'?" She read aloud, gaping at the paper. Only the richest and most important people in the world got invited to that Ball. She frowned up at Syaoran, daring him to say that it was a joke. However, he simply sighed and ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"My father's representatives called four days ago to confirm it was in Tomoeda. My mother invites you and your family along as her guests." He grunted, before turning on his heel and leaving. "Oh," He stopped suddenly and threw her a glance over his shoulder. "And I wouldn't worry about inviting Daidouji either. Eriol's already confided in me that he plans on inviting her as his date." He sniffed derisively, and was gone.

It was then that Sakura was reminded that Syaoran and Eriol were cousins. That had been an… interesting development, to say the least.

As Tomoyo had gradually begun spending time with Eriol and getting to know him over the week, she had discovered their relationship quite accidentally. Of course, she put the pieces together in her head on the spot. Eriol had told her that he was related important people; Li was the surname of a very rich Chinese man; Syaoran was Chinese; he and Eriol were cousins. It was simple.

They had forbidden her to tell anyone, lest the media discover them. Tomoyo had sworn secrecy from everyone except Sakura. They had relented in that, after assurances from Tomoyo that Sakura would keep their secret.

Sakura re-read the invitation as she began walking home. It was in five days. She sighed. Her father would be pleased when she gave it to him. She briefly considered not giving her father the invitation, but reasoned that Yelan would eventually call to make sure that he had received it. No, there were only two ways to get out of going. Flat out refusal, or faking illness.

Since Sakura's father had a profound ability to tell when Sakura was lying to him, she decided to go with the refusal method. It had never worked before, but the last time she had tried it was when she was fourteen.

Sakura sighed again as she reached her front gate, clutching the paper tightly. She opened the gate, climbed the stairs, and opened the front door.

"Dad?" She yelled out, ignoring her growing headache. "I have something from Mrs Li for you!"

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

"Did you give it to her?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Good boy." Yelan nodded, going back to cooking. Syaoran glanced over her shoulder into the pot.

"Soup?" He asked, reaching for a spoon to taste it. It was a peculiar habit he'd picked up somewhere along the line, and his mother's cooking was always flawless. He'd use any excuse he could to try it before it was ready. Yelan slapped his hand away from the utensils without even looking away from the pot. Syaoran grunted in pain. It was the hand that he'd sent through the wall four days previously.

"Sorry, Syaoran!" Yelan gushed, going over his hand and making sure that she hadn't opened up any of the healing wounds. Luckily she hadn't.

"It's ok." He grunted, going towards his room. A shuffling and the opening and closing of drawers and zippers in the room next to his alerted him to someone else in the apartment. Curling his hands into fists, he cautiously approached the door and pushed it open.

Two gasps.

One indecipherable squeal.

One roar of the word; "_MEILING_!"

In the kitchen, Yelan chuckled.

"I probably should have warned him beforehand that Meiling was arriving today for the Ball." She murmured to herself, inwardly laughing at the yelling and squealing coming from the hall.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Tomoyo and Eriol were window-shopping at the Mall, chatting away about nothing in particular. Eriol kept sneaking glances at Tomoyo out of the corner of his eye whenever she gushed over an article of clothing, or a puppy at the pet store.

He couldn't deny that he liked her – a _lot_. It wasn't one of those teenaged hormonal things, either. Tomoyo was… she was too _special_ for those types of… of thinking about her like _that_. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he approached her from behind.

"Hey, Tomoyo?" he spun around to look at him. "Uh… would you… uh… like to get something to eat?"

"Sure!" She piped up, abandoning the adorable little Golden Retriever puppy that she was playing with through the glass in the pet store window. They went to a nearby deli and Eriol bought them both sandwiches. Tomoyo protested that she could pay for her own, but Eriol was having none of it.

"So… what are you doing next Wednesday?" Eriol asked as they sat by the giant Christmas tree in the plaza. Tomoyo shrugged.

"I spend most of my time with Sakura these days." She said, starry eyed. Eriol rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Well… Uh… I was wondering…" He spluttered, "If you'd… uh… like to go to the Li Ball with me next Wednesday?" He gushed, face burning.

"I'd love to!" Tomoyo's faced was as red as his. "I'll just have to tell Sakura I'm not coming over is all."

"Oh, Auntie already invited her and her father." Eriol gave a small cough. "She should be going too."

"Oooh, yay!" Tomoyo squealed, bouncing up and down. "Now I get to take Sakura shopping for materials so I can make our dresses!" Eriol gave her a funny look.

"Two dresses in five days?" Eriol looked at her like she was crazy. "Won't that be a bit tight?"

"Not two _whole_ dresses, silly!" Tomoyo scoffed. "I have the basic designs at home – it's just alterations and decorations!" And she began a detailed explanation of what she thought Sakura's dress should look like.

Eriol hung on to her every word, as she weaved an image in his mind of Sakura in one of the most beautiful dresses he could ever possibly imagine. Not that she could ever compare, in his eyes, to the raven-haired beauty beside him.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Sakura scolded herself that night, hitting her head against the pillow. "How could you even _think_ of telling him about the baby?" She screamed into the pillow. "Why did you even _try_?"

Sakura couldn't argue with herself. She'd been thinking it over throughout the week; she'd come to realise that she _did_ want Syaoran there for her and _their_ baby. But at the same time, she didn't. She would have to deal with telling him about it.

Plus, telling him about the baby would ruin his life, and she reasoned that ruining _her_ life was enough. There was no sense in ruining his too. And besides, even if he _was_ there, it would only be on the sidelines. Sakura was very hesitant about the whole thing.

Sighing, she dialled Tomoyo's number. It was already eleven, but Tomoyo would forgive her when she told her why she'd called.

"Hello?" Tomoyo's groggy voice came through. "It's eleven, Sakura, what are you doing calling me at this hour?" Sakura briefly forgot that Tomoyo had caller ID. Sakura gathered her wits before trying to speak. Her floodgates broke down before she had even begun to utter the first word.

"I'm so confused!' Sakura wailed into the phone, sobbing.

* * *

**So, what'd ya think? Just for you guys, and because its Christmas, here's a sneak-peak of Chapter 9!**

"_So, what do you think will happen _this_ year?" she asked lightly. Syaoran blinked._

"_What?"_

"_Well the Li Corp Christmas Ball is infamous for changing the life of at least one Li a year… don't tell me you forgot?" She sounded as if the idea were laughable._

"_No, Meiling." Syaoran scoffed. "I did not. And I doubt very much that there will be anything drastic this year, considering the only Li's attending tonight are you, me, and my parents."_

"_Whatever." Meiling shrugged. "I just have a feeling something's gonna happen."_

**There you have it! It's not very long, but I don't have much of Chapter 9 yet. I hope y'all have a Merry Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate)!**


	9. Chapter Nine

**AHHH! OMG!!! I know I haven't updated this in AGES!!! I'm _SOSOSOSOSO_ SORRY!!! I can't really offer any explanation either, other than the fact that the CCS flame has kinda died for me. Rest assured, I'll be finishing this one eventually, but I think this is my last CCS story.**

**Without further ado, please enjoy the (LONG overdue) chapter.

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**Something of Yours**

**Chapter Nine**

**Ah, Fucken Hell.**

Sakura poured over the phone book on the night of the Ball, in the finest evening gown that Tomoyo had been able to make in the short amount of time given. She made notes of a few paediatricians in the area and jotted down their numbers.

"What are you doing honey?" Fujitaka came in, straightening his tie.

Sakura looked up at him with a small smile. "I'm looking up baby doctors. I'm gonna need one. I'm about a third in, you know."

"Good idea." Fujitaka sat down wearily. "But you know that we need to go soon, right?"

"Yeah, I know." She laughed, setting the book and notepad down, slipping the lid on the pen. "I'm just really anxious and I wanna get this all right."

"No mother gets it all right. Not even on their second, third, or even fourth children." Fujitaka smiled. "You just gotta do what you think is right. Of course Touya and I will help you as best we can." He assured her. "Now come on, I suggest we leave if we're gonna be on time."

"What about Touya?" Sakura blinked.

"He's not coming." Fujitaka shook his head. "Prior engagement. Come on, let's go." He tugged on her hand, earning a reluctant laugh from his daughter.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Syaoran grunted as Meiling knocked on the door, signalling that she was all right to come in. The door opened to reveal Meiling leaning on the doorframe with a slightly amused expression as Syaoran got frustrated with his tie.

"So, what do you think will happen _this_ year?" She asked lightly. Syaoran blinked.

"What?"

"Well the Li Corp Christmas Ball is infamous for changing the life of at least one Li a year… don't tell me you forgot?" She sounded as if the idea were laughable.

"No, Meiling." Syaoran scoffed. "I did not. And I doubt very much that there will be anything drastic this year, considering the only Li's attending tonight are you, me, and my parents."

"Whatever." Meiling shrugged. "I just have a feeling something's gonna happen."

"I doubt it very much." Syaoran eyed her in the mirror. "Hey, do that in your own room!" He yelled at her as she barged him out of the way of his mirror and began to check herself out.

She ignored his outburst. "I think I'm putting on weight. Waddya think, Syaoran?" She asked absently, putting a hand to her stomach. Syaoran raised an eyebrow. Apparently Meiling was still just as vein as she had been when he'd lived in Hong Kong. He decided that he'd have a little fun toying with her before she murdered him when she figured out what he was doing. He pretended to scrutinize her for a moment.

"Yeah, a bit." He shrugged nonchalantly.

Meiling rounded on him angrily. "Are you saying I'm fat?!" She demanded. Syaoran ducked as she threw a pillow at him. He started laughing as he raced out of the room, leaping over the couch and coffee table to put distance between himself and the fuming girl.

"Yeah, duh." He rolled his eyes with a smirk. She cursed indecipherably and he darted in the opposite direction of her rage. "I mean, you're just packing it on. I'm surprised you could squeeze into that dress. _Hoochie Mama_!" He sang.

Meiling was beyond angry now. Syaoran was actually beginning to regret taunting her; she _was_ a black belt after all. She could match him move for move – maybe even beat him, since he'd been slacking with his training a bit lately. She settled for glaring at him before turning tail and stomping off into his bedroom, slamming the door shut and locking it behind.

Syaoran bashed on the door. "Oi! Come on! That's _my_ room! Out!"

"No!" Meiling yelled back.

"Out!"

"No!"

"Meiling, kindly come out of Syaoran's room." Yelan sighed, coming out of her own room to see what all the fuss was about. "We're going to be late if we don't leave in five minutes. Hurry; Mr Li will be here to pick us up shortly."

Meiling grumbled, but acquiesced. She purposely trod on Syaoran's unprotected sock-clad foot with her inch heels on her way out.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Sakura felt so out of place in the large ballroom. Everyone else was taller than her, with a more graceful stride, eloquent voice, and overall more charm than her. She felt like the awkward kid in the middle of a classroom of kids who were all smarter than her, and she didn't have a clue how to do the task on the blackboard.

She clung to her father's side desperately, zoning out as he discussed boring topic with some of the other people at the Ball. So far she hadn't seen either Tomoyo or Eriol, but she _had_ seen Syaoran and his mother on the other side of the room a few minutes ago. Syaoran had been arm in arm with a lovely woman with black hair pulled into the traditional Chinese bun with chopsticks.

Sakura had taken a moment to admire the woman. Her bronzed skin and shimmery red dress complimented her perfectly. She had been too far away to see clearly, but Sakura was certain that her eyes would have been striking. She had yet to come across a woman in the ballroom who wasn't rich and beautiful. She imagined the strange woman to be related to a business associate of the Li's. It was only logical.

Sakura jumped at a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see the beaming faces of Tomoyo – who looked radiant in a deep purple gown – and her date, Eriol. Sakura, again, felt awkward in their presence. Half of Tomoyo's hair was swept up into a tight bun at the back of her head, and the rest was left to hang freely in waves to her shoulders. Sakura blinked.

"Tomoyo, you cut your hair!"

Tomoyo and Eriol laughed. "I didn't _want _to." Tomoyo shrugged with the giggles. "Mom was helping me cut the material on another outfit and she accidentally sheared off half my hair. You know how hopeless she is with scissors." She shrugged. "Makes me wonder why I bothered to trust her."

Sakura laughed. "Well, you look great." She commented, running her eyes over her friend again. Tomoyo's designer skills had not gone to waste on her dress. The garment was made of what looked like satin, with beaded trimmings along the edges. The deep purple colour only seemed to make her milky skin glow in the soft light from the chandelier above. Tomoyo smiled brightly, revealing newly-bleached teeth.

"You too." Tomoyo grinned, admiring her friend. The slinky green dress that she wore was trimmed with golden lace that also ran as a divider between the two portions, separating a lighter green from a darker green. Her hair had been straightened out and left to hang freely to her shoulder blades. "You cut yours too?"

"Not as much as you." Sakura laughed as Tomoyo linked arms with her. Tomoyo dragged Sakura and Eriol all the way over to Syaoran, the girl, and Mrs. Li. Sakura, seeing their destination, scowled at Tomoyo. "Oh, come off it, Sakura. It's only for a second." Tomoyo whined. "Eriol just needs to say his to his Aunt and cousins, then we're free for the night, basically."

"I don't see why you had to drag me along." Sakura sighed.

Tomoyo flashed her an apologetic look. "Eriol might take a while and I really didn't wanna stand there by myself like a shmuck." She giggled nervously.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Fair enough. As long as I don't have to talk, it's all good."

As if on cue, Mrs Li noticed them. "Sakura! Eriol! Dears, come over here and let me see you." She clucked, beckoning them toward her. Sakura inwardly groaned, noting Syaoran's and the girl's eyes on her as she walked. The expression on Syaoran's face was unreadable, but Sakura could easily see the curiosity on the other one. "And who have we here?" She asked, looking Tomoyo over.

"My second cousin, Daidouji Tomoyo." Sakura smiled. "Daidouji Sonomi's daughter."

"Oh!" Mrs Li smiled graciously. "Yes, I remember Sonomi well." She sighed. "It's a shame I haven't see her in years. How is she then, Miss Daidouji?"

"Call me, Tomoyo, please." Tomoyo smiled awkwardly. "And Mom's fine. We have our problems, but who doesn't?"

"Very true, very true…" A clearing of the throat broke across Mrs Li. "Oh, of course. Sakura, Tomoyo, meet Li Meiling, my niece." She ushered the girl who was hanging off Syaoran's arm forward. Sakura couldn't help but notice the look of extreme relief that washed across Syaoran's face and resisted the urge to giggle at him. She settled for examining the girl up close.

Sakura had been right. Meiling's eyes _were_ strikingly beautiful. They were a deep amber colour with a ruby tint to them – most probably brought upon by contact lenses. Sakura found herself shrinking in intimidation at the sheer power and passion that burned in them. She was both inspired and awed by the confidence that the girl was oozing. In fact, Sakura's mind registered that she was not, in fact, a girl; but a woman.

Sakura smiled awkwardly as she bowed her head to acknowledge the beautiful woman. Meiling flashed her a million dollar smile. "Nice to meet you." She crooned in a heavy Chinese accent. Sakura felt even worse. The woman had the voice of an angel; and here Sakura was, with a voice that was too deep at times and too high in others. Se felt like she wanted the earth to open up and swallow her.

"Likewise." Sakura chirped meekly. Tomoyo nodded and the two girls stood there fidgeting. They were eternally grateful to Eriol, who drew his three relative's attention away from them and onto himself. Tomoyo and Sakura turned to each other and began to chat, completely forgetting about the four people behind them.

"So, what do you think so far?" Tomoyo commented, looking around. "It's really something, isn't it?"

"You can say that again." Sakura whistled low. I feel like I'm about two inches tall at the moment."

"I know the feeling." Tomoyo agreed. Thy lapsed into silence again. "So… have you been thinking about…?"

"Yeah. I have." Sakura nodded absently.

"And are you going to…?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Are you _insane_?" Sakura almost yelled, ignorant of the people around them, now staring at them. "What am I supposed to say? '_Oh, hey Syaoran; we need to talk. Remember how we used to sleep together? Oh, well, you'll never guess! I'm pregnant!_' Yeah. That'll go down really well."

Silence rang throughout the hall for a moment, before a ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd. Sakura's breathing froze as her face flamed up. She agonisingly slowly turned her head to look at the Li family.

Eriol was staring at her as if she had grown another head.

Meiling's eyes were a big as dinner plates.

Mrs Li had gone white and looked as if she were about to faint.

And Syaoran… no words could describe the look of pure shock and terror across his face.

Sakura could not stop the next words that flew out of her mouth.

"Ah, fucken hell."

* * *

**Did you like? I actually had half of this written up beforehand, but my computer died and lost it all. I was so depressed that I couldn't bring myself to write for it. But here we are; end of the new chapter.**

**I'm not making any promises about the next one.**

**So review. Let's see if it motivates me, eh?**


	10. Chapter Ten

**Hey, hey! I left a helluva cliffie last time, Didn't I? XD Hell, it wasn't even intentional! So to be fair, I'm gonna skip the notes this time and get straight into it, ok?

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**Something of Yours**

**Chapter Ten**

**Tension**

"Ah, fucken hell."

Mrs Li's eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she fell in a dead faint. Eriol and Meiling managed to snap to themselves quickly enough to catch her, preventing her from striking her head on the marble floor.

Sakura and Syaoran stared at each other, before Sakura turned and bolted from the scene, leaving everyone behind her shocked and confused.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

"_The young woman has still so far remained unidentified._" The newsreader announced on national television the night after the ball. "_However, her allegations have caused an outcry from the Li Elders, demanding marriage between-_"

Sakura turned off the TV with a sob. Tomoyo, who was curled up on the couch beside her in the dark, reached for her hand and clutched it tightly, giving it a warm squeeze. Sakura sobbed again and hiccupped, giving a squeeze back. "H-How's Mrs Li?" She managed to choke out.

"Eriol says she's fine." Tomoyo whispered. "She'll be released in the morning." She paused hesitantly. "She wants to see you tomorrow, Sakura."

"No." Sakura shook her head.

"Sakura, you cant drop a bombshell and just disappear off the face of the planet." Tomoyo reminded her gently.

"It's your fault." Sakura glared at Tomoyo in the dark. Though she couldn't see it, Tomoyo could feel the glare pierce right through her. "If you had've just left me alone, I wouldn't be in this mess."

"If I had've left you alone?" Tomoyo repeated incredulously, getting fed up with Sakura blaming the incident on her – she'd been doing it all day! "_If I had've left you alone_?! Sakura, if I had've left you alone, you'd still be fucking Li and probably not even know that you're pregnant!" She screamed. "So don't you tell me this is all my fault! It's _your_ fault, no one else's! You're the one who slept with him and kept him from knowing about the baby! _I_ didn't sleep with him, get pregnant, and put the baby in _your_ body! So just shut up and stop blaming _me_ for _your_ mistakes!"

"Tomoyo-" Sakura whimpered.

"No!" Tomoyo ranted, "I've had enough! I've kept it all to myself for _two months_! You have to stop being so fucking stubborn and do what's best! You're being a selfish, irresponsible _bitch_ who can't seem to accept the blame for something that she did! _You_ were the one who went around like a slut and fucked him for three months! I'm sick of this! I'm sick of being the supportive friend! I'm sick of the '_pity me_' act that you've fed your family! I'm sick of your attitude! I'm sick of _YOU_!"

Sakura's cheeks were streaming with tears as Tomoyo stomped off. "And don't you _dare_ talk to me until you've learnt to grow up and take responsibility for your own actions! I'm not going to sit here and be your proverbial punching bag anymore!" She slammed the front door behind her and took a deep breath, beginning to walk down the street.

She only got around the corner before her own tears came.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Syaoran sat in the hospital room, drained of all energy. He cradled his head in his hands, barely hearing what his mother and cousins were babbling on about. He felt tired. Oh-so tired.

His mind was buzzing with thoughts; mainly doubts. He couldn't handle this. When the possibility had been presented to him, he thought he could. But he couldn't. There was no way he could handle being a father. He couldn't take responsibility. No way. There was no way he could do it.

His father stomped into the room, stuffing his cell phone into his pocket. He wore a very tired expression, much like Syaoran's as he rubbed his temples and spoke. "We're leaving for Hong Kong tomorrow night." He paused. "Meiling and Eriol stay here."

"_What_?!" Yelan exclaimed. "But Syaoran has _responsibilities_ here!"

Mr Li looked stonily at his wife. "We have no proof that Syaoran is the father of that little tramp's kid." He said firmly. Syaoran found his blood boiling, but kept his composure. "Until such a time as it can be proved or disproved, we have no reason to stay here.

"And what if – as I'm fairly certain – he is?" Yelan demanded. "What do you intend on doing then?!"

"We file for custody and we remove the child from it's mother."

"_WHAT_?!" All occupants of the room – Yelan, Syaoran, Meiling, and Eriol – shouted.

"You can't be _serious_, Uncle!" Meiling almost pleaded desperately.

"Uncle, Sakura is not a liar." Eriol was the first to regain his composure. "You cannot just take her child from her. It's unethical and just plain evil."

"Don't you tell me what I can and can't do." Mr Li growled. "If the child is indeed my grandson or granddaughter, he or she will not be brought up in such…" he looked out the window and wrinkled his nose, "…squalor."

"…I won't let you." Syaoran said in a low voice.

"You what?"

"I won't let you take the child away from her." Syaoran repeated. "I'll go to Hong Kong, but we're not taking the kid with us. If it's mine, I'll use my personal allowance to support them, but I won't let you take the kid."

"I'd like to see you stop me."

"Father, I am an adult now. _You_ cannot file for custody of _my_ _child_." The term sounded so foreign on his tongue. It took everyone a moment to process it. "The courts would laugh at you and throw it back in your face. This is a matter between Kinomoto and myself."

"And I suppose you thought of all this when you knocked her up?" His father sneered.

Syaoran and his father had never gotten along. In fact, Syaoran was so bent on never seeing his father again that he often said that he was dead. It was a good reason to excuse his absence in Syaoran's life; he was never there when Syaoran was growing up, and he resented him for it. While Yelan had stayed home and cared for five children, Mr Li had been off about town, cheating on his wife and having to dish out loads of money to have illegitimate children aborted or 'taken care of'. Mr Li was _not_ a good man.

"Considering I didn't know about any of this until last night, I would think not!" Syaoran growled.

"So you're gonna support a kid you're not even sure is yours?" His father scoffed.

"Unlike some people I will take responsibility for my actions, and but just pay to have the '_problem_ _fixed_'." Syaoran growled with a glare.

Mr Li's glare could make hell freeze over. "I see." He drawled. "Well then, I'm cutting off your allowance." He smirked triumphantly. "You'll have to 'support' them on your own, _son_."

"I'll manage." Syaoran stood up gruffly, and left the room.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Tomoyo was still walking around aimlessly after her argument with Sakura. Her wanderings brought her to the park where most teenagers in their small town often came to think. Her mind was reeling with emotions; she was still on some kind of horrible high after insulting Sakura so badly.

But it needed to be said.

It was just a shame that Tomoyo was the one who needed to say it.

Sitting down on the swings, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and sighed. It was dark, so it was peaceful out. Her mother would be worried about her, but she didn't care. She needed a place that she could think in, and the hustle and bustle of her mother's mansion didn't cut it. The noise would always invade her thoughts and stop her mental pattern. It always happened.

She was brought to awareness by a snapping twig somewhere behind her. Whirling around, she visibly and audibly relaxed when she saw who it was. She turned back to the front and began to swing a little. She heard him sit next to her as she swings gave a small groan as they adjusted to support his weight.

"…Fancy seeing you out here." Tomoyo eventually broke the silence.

He acknowledged her with a grunt.

"How's your mom doing? Any better?"

Another grunt.

"Li, I'm trying to be polite here." Tomoyo scowled at him "The least you could do would be to reciprocate."

"What do you want?" He growled out.

Tomoyo was taken aback by his tone. Sure, she'd heard Li speak to Sakura like that any many times before, but never to _her_. "Nothing." She said quickly, looking ahead.

"…I'm leaving for Hong Kong."

"Pardon?" Tomoyo turned her head to look at Syaoran.

"I said '_I'm leaving for Hong Kong_'." He repeated, somewhat irritated.

"B-b-but… you can't!"

"I tried that one too." He chuckled darkly. "Hell I don't even know why I'm telling you this shit, but it's my dad's decision. Doesn't believe Sakura – he's the only one in the family who doesn't, by the way – and wants me outta here. Wants to take the kid when it's proven to be mine."

"_WHAT_?!"

"Yeah, we all reacted exactly the same way."

"B-but that's-"

"Yeah, I know."

Tomoyo scowled. "You're not actually _going_, are you?!"

"I don't have a choice."

"The hell you don't!"

"Look." Syaoran rubbed his temples tiredly. "I don't like it either. I'll send Kinomoto money, and-"

"It's not about the money!" Tomoyo yelled at him. "It's about having someone there for her! Cause it certainly ain't gonna be me anymore!" She ignored Syaoran's curious and startled look. "She can't be on her own right now. She needs someone." She shot him a dirty look. "And since you're the one who got her into this mess, you should be the one."

Silence reigned again. Syaoran was dumbstruck by the plain and honest words. He'd thought about it, but not quite like that. Sure, Kinomoto was capable, but did she need _help_? Like, actual physical and emotional help?

"I can't." Syaoran sighed. "My father is threatening to cut off my allowance; and that's the only way I can give her anything."

"_FORGET YOUR STUPID MONEY FOR A SECOND_!" Tomoyo shrieked. She took a deep breath before continuing. "There is a _person_ who, in six months, will be a part of this world who will need both its mother and father." She was quiet for a second. "I don't know you that well, Li, but I think you'll do the right thing. And the right thing is to stay here and help in any way you can." And with that she stood up to leave.

"Syaoran." He grunted.

"What?" She looked down at him.

"Don't call me 'Li'." He grunted. "Call me 'Syaoran'."

"Alright, Syaoran. Then you can call me Tomoyo." Tomoyo smiled a watery smile – she still hadn't quite gotten over her crying before. "Goodnight."

"Night Tomoyo." He kicked a rock as Tomoyo disappeared into the night, on her way home. Her words echoed in his head.

'_I think you'll do the right thing. And the right thing is to stay here and help in any way you can…'

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**Not quite what you guys expected, I'll bet. I'll admit, it wasn't quite what I wanted, and its rushed, but I really couldn't think of anything else. And it's short. -cries- Not my best chapter.**

**Press the little purple button to abuse me all you like! XD**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**ZOMG! One day off two months. But… at least it wasn't as long as some authors out there, who don't **_**ever**_

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**Something of Yours**

**Chapter Eleven**

**And so it is Said…**

"Guess it's just you an' me now, huh?" Sakura asked her flat stomach. "S'not like 'Moyo's gonna apologise any time soon." She whimpered to herself.

She rolled over and buried her face into the carpet. To put it simply; she felt like shit. It'd been two weeks since Tomoyo's outburst. In addition to her crummy emotional state, she was tired all the time, her boobs hurt, her head was pounding, and she had these ugly little stretch marks appearing on her thighs. She was sleeping less and less too, since Tomoyo's outburst, adding to her rapidly souring mood.

Her brother made a point of avoiding talking to her when he called. He would talk to their father first, always, and then say that he had to be somewhere as soon as it was Sakura's turn on the phone. That left her even more miserable. She hadn't heard from Tomoyo, she hadn't heard from her brother, and she _certainly_ hadn't heard from Syaoran. Eriol and Meiling called her the week previously on a three-way call to tell her that Syaoran had gone back to Hong Kong to graduate, but that was fine with her. If the bastard wanted to leave then let him.

Sakura found that she couldn't handle school, so she had begun to cut classes. The school called her father, who then demanded to know why she was skipping. Her simple answer was that she 'didn't want to go anymore'. Fujitaka had argued with her for three hours to continue school for the last month or so and then relented. It was her future, she argued, and if she wanted to fuck it up then she would, one way or another. Besides, she reminded him, it wasn't like her future wasn't already severely fucked up anyway.

She rolled onto her back to relieve the pressure on her chest. Whoever said that pregnancy was beautiful deserved to be shot in the head and then have a hundred leprechauns dancing on their grave. Sakura didn't know how her mother had handled it. She wanted to cry, scream, _break something_! Hell, the only good thing was that her morning sickness – which rarely ever happened in the morning – was starting to subside. Her doctor was telling her that her energy should be coming back by now, but she felt more tired than ever. Maybe because she wasn't sleeping well.

She was miserable. Depressed. Anxious. Scared. What would happen to her and her baby? Eriol had told her of Mr Li's plan to take the baby away from her after a paternity test. There was no way in _Hell_ that the man was getting her baby, but how could she take care of it? She might have babysat for her neighbours a few times, but at the end of the night she was always able to give the baby back to her parents. She didn't have to _keep_ it. But this one she did.

"Fuck this." She snarled, standing up, wobbling a little. She grasped her desk to steady herself, her headache making her dizzy. As quickly as the spell had come, it was gone, and she was able to walk downstairs to find a note from her father. Reading it, snorting, and tossing it out, she marched straight to the fridge and pulled out a bar of chocolate. Grabbing her coat and keys, she locked the door behind her as she stepped out into the chilly autumn evening, munching on her chocolate and stuffing the wrapper into her pocket.

She started to walk. She didn't pay attention to where she was going; she just followed her feet. Out of the corner of her eye she could have sworn that she'd seen Yelan, but dismissed the notion. Yelan would likely be back in Hong Kong with her husband and son. Why would she be here in Tomoeda again? But apparently, she had some reason. And, for some reason, it seemed to involve Sakura.

"Sakura, dear!" She yelled out from across the road. Sakura's head snapped up and a cold chill ran through her body. She'd successfully managed to avoid speaking to Mrs Li since the ball, but it appeared her reprieve was over. Tomoyo's words echoed through her mind. '_Sakura, you cant drop a bombshell and just disappear off the face of the planet._'

"Yes, Mrs Li?" She hesitantly turned to the older woman, forcing a smile on her face. Mrs Li had since crossed the road and came to a stop next to Sakura.

Mrs Li gave her a warm smile. "Oh, come dear. Call me Yelan. We are to be family when the little one is here."

The warmth of her tone did little to calm Sakura's chills. Her heart screamed that this was the wife of the man that wanted her baby – she wanted her baby too! But her mind reminded her that this was _Mrs Li_, her mother's friend. She had never once, in the short time she'd known her, pressed her into something that she was uncomfortable with. However, from the amount of fidgeting that she was doing with her hands, as Sakura had noticed, she was about to ask something big.

"Have you…" she pursed her lips, "…thought much about your future?" She finally asked.

Sakura started. "To be perfectly honest, all I've been thinking about is the immediate future." She found herself saying. "I have no idea how I'm going to look after myself or the baby, if that's what you're asking. But I'll find something."

Mrs Li was silent. "Well, that's all well and good dear, but I think I may have a way for you." Sakura remained silent, awaiting her options. Mrs Li took a deep breath. "Well, as you may or may not know, the Elders are all up in arms over what to do with you, dear. They are calling for abortion, which it is obviously too late for, taking the child from you, which I absolutely forbade them from doing, or marriage between you and Syaoran."

"And you want me to marry him." Sakura finished in a deadpanned voice. She snorted. "I'm sorry, but I feel no inclination to marry a man that I detest. He left me alone to deal with this, even when he found out. He has no rights to me or my baby." She shocked herself with her words.

"I was suggesting that it be in name only." Yelan's soft tone broke the silence a moment later. "You would come and live on the Li Estate, given, and perhaps appear with Syaoran once in a while at public functions, but out of the public eye, you can have as much or as little to do with him as you choose."

"But what kind of example would that set the baby?" Sakura immediately retorted. "Oh, it's normal for Mommy and Daddy to hate each other and never speak to each other. Imagine their marriage when they're old enough. It'd be just as bad. Or they could be emotionally scarred. I don't want to put my baby through that. We'll have enough problems as it is."

Mrs Li laughed daintily. "A sound reasoning. But I'm afraid the alternative isn't pretty."

"So you're trying to blackmail me with taking away my baby." Sakura's voice wasn't accusatory. Merely knowing.

"Dear, you must know that I desire no such thing. It is my husband who is so very set on it." She clucked her tongue. "The entire family has tried to dissuade him, but he will not budge. Even Syaoran's threat of cutting off ties from the family has done nothing to discourage him. Syaoran does not want the child taken from its mother, but there is nothing that he can do either. The way my husband is planning to present it to the courts is that you are young, unwed, uneducated, since it has been brought to his attention that you did not graduate with your peers, and you have no means of supporting yourself."

"As opposed to the billionaire grandfather who, not only still has one of the parents living under his roof, also has the experience with raising children and providing for them." Sakura sighed. "My father and I spoke about this when Eriol and Meiling told me what he wanted. He can't take the baby unless it's what Syaoran wants too. The parent's wishes override anything else."

"The courts can be… persuaded to wave parental rights."

"You mean bribed." Sakura spat.

Yelan sighed. "Yes. Bribed." She paused. "My husband is notorious for bribing or intimidating the court system into making decisions in his favour. He has just never been caught."

"So you're saying it's hopeless." Sakura closed her eyes and counted to ten.

"Not hopeless, dear. Just think of what I told you about the options." She shook her heads. "We will still try to dissuade him, but unless by some miracle he changes his mind, there is every chance that those will be our options."

"Not exactly thrilling." Sakura commented dryly. "Either move to a foreign country and marry someone I don't even _like_, let alone love, to keep my baby; or stay here and have my baby taken away to a place that I will never be able to afford to go."

"I'm sorry dear." Yelan patted her shoulder. "But I don't think there's anything I can do."

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Tomoyo was having the time of her life.

She'd pushed aside her niggling feelings of guilt for the time being and had gone with Eriol to his Aunt and Uncle's house in Hong Kong. She, Syaoran, and Eriol often hit the town, determined to have a good time. She found that she got on well with Syaoran, strangely enough. She found herself thinking, on more than one occasion, that, if the circumstances had been different, she would not have minded setting Sakura up with him. But, knowing their history, there was little to no chance of that happening.

It had come as a shock when Yelan had announced her return to Tomoeda. She had left swiftly afterwards, heading straight for the airport. Syaoran had confided in Eriol and Tomoyo that he was worried she was going after Sakura. The three of them had listened in on the Li Elder Council meetings in the last few weeks, and they were debating two things; a custody battle or marriage. Some of the Elders were reluctant to pursue a legal battle over such a sensitive thing; they'd likely have Women's Rights Activists banging down the door. So they were all for the marriage if it was possible.

"Come on, Syaoran, maybe it wont be so bad?" Tomoyo tried to console him with Eriol after dinner. "I know Sakura. She's pretty unbearable right now, but she's a nice person…"

Syaoran snorted. "And she's terrified of me."

"Now why would she be afraid of you?" Eriol frowned. "You've never… _hit_ her… have you?"

"Oh, Hell no!" Syaoran rocketed to his feet. "I can't believe you even _suggested_ that! I oughta hit _you_, Hiiragizawa!"

"Calm down!" Tomoyo rubbed her temples. "We're not going to get _anywhere_ like this!" She slammed her hands down on Syaoran's desk and beared down on them. "You," she glared at her boyfriend, "need to stop antagonizing Syaoran. And _you_," she turned her withering glare to Syaoran, "need to do something about your father."

"And what do you expect me _to_ do?!" Syaoran demanded. "Look," he cut across her, "you don't know my dad. He gets what he wants. No ifs, ands, or buts about it!"

"No excuses!" Tomoyo shrieked, scaring both of them. He took a deep breath to calm herself. "Now, look. There's got to be _something_ you can do. _Anything_?" Syaoran shook his head. "Ok, then we're going to have to come up with something together…"

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

"…and we, the Elders of the Li Council, hereby declare that the heir to the Li Clan, Li Xiao Lang, shall wed the woman named Kinomoto Sakura, should the opportunity arise. If, for any reason, this does not come to pass, Li Xiao Chen, current leader of the Li Clan and father of Li Xiao Lang, shall lodge legal action against Miss Kinomoto for the custody of the infant in question."

The gavel fell. Mr Li was grinning like a maniac, knowing full well that his son would not marry that Kinomoto girl. Not if _he_ had anything to say about it.

* * *

**Yeah, the bar at the side makes it LOOK small, but don't be fooled! It's actually one of the longest chapters I've written for this story! D:**

**And yeah, I know people wanted and expected Syaoran to disobey Daddy and stay in Japan buuuut… meh. My story.**

**I might skip a few weeks between this chapter and the next. Oh, and the counter down here is just as much for you as it is for me. -sigh- I keep forgetting how far into it I am. That's what takes me so long once I get started. -wince- Checking details.**

**Sakura's Pregnancy: 14 weeks.**

**Questions and comments are welcome.**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Before anything else, I feel the need to get a something out in the open:**

**Some of you have been commenting on Tomoyo's un-Tomoyo-ish behaviour.**

**There is a simple explanation for this; she was concerned with Sakura's well being and was convinced that, while she was sleeping with Syaoran, that she may eventually do something that she may regret. Unfortunately, she was too late. Upon realising this, she is now urging Sakura to do the '**_**right thing**_**' by her child. She is not telling Sakura to marry Syaoran. She is not telling her to get involved with him at **_**all**_**. She is merely acknowledging and pointing out Syaoran's rights as the biological father and the rights of the child to **_**have**_** that father.**

**Furthermore, I had Tomoyo lash out for a very particular reason. I wanted to remind people that she is, in fact, only human – and therefore she **_**does**_** have emotions. I think I succeeded, don't you?**

* * *

**Something of Yours**

**Chapter Twelve**

**Butterflies**

"I'm getting fat!"

"No Sakura," Fujitaka sighed from his place at the stove as his daughter evaluated her growing abdomen in the hall mirror, "that's just the baby."

"The doctor said that the baby's only about five ounces!" Sakura whined. "I've put on fourteen pounds! I'm getting fat!" She plucked at her cheeks. "And I look like I'm running a fever! And my hair is falling out! I look horrible!" She tugged at the thinning braid.

"Sakura, this is all perfectly normal." Fujitaka tried to reason with her. "You put on more weight because your body is storing away fluids and fatty tissue for the baby. Your hormones are making the capillaries in your face bigger, _and_ making your hair thinner. Its normal, sweetheart."

"There is nothing normal about an eighteen year old girl losing her hair." Sakura pouted, slinking into the kitchen and pulling herself up to sit on the counter. "I don't want to eat anymore." She complained, watching her dad prepare chicken dumplings – her favourite dinner. "Don't make me any. I don't want it."

Her father, who had been patiently putting up with all of Sakura's complaining, finally turned around. He snapped the hot metal tongs he was holding in her face. "Now you listen to me, Kinomoto Sakura," He said slowly and deliberately, no trace of his frustration in his tone, "you are going to eat, because if you don't, you could lose the baby." He pursed his lips, turning away from her and back toward the stove just in time to stop the food from burning. "I never told you that you had an older sister, did I?" He sighed.

Sakura almost fell off the counter in shock. A sister? Since when? How could she _not_ know about this? Older? Was she older than Touya? Or the middle child? Unable to say anything, she shook her head dumbly. Her father couldn't see her, but he continued anyway.

"Her name was supposed to be Aoi. You mother was so depressed about putting on all that weight again. Touya was five, and was giving her a run around, as all little boys do to their mothers." He said in a low voice. "When we found out she was pregnant again, we were overjoyed, but your mother slowly got more and more depressed with each passing day. Eventually, when she was about fifteen weeks, she stopped eating. No cutting back, no alternatives. She just stopped." He stopped a moment to collect his thoughts. "Two weeks of nothing but fluids later, she lost the baby. Because she was past the abortion deadline, she had to deliver her as a stillborn. She's buried in the same cemetery as your mother, two rows back."

Silence reigned supreme for several minutes. Sakura was lost for words, staring off into space. Her mind was full of a strange buzzing sound, the kind that one would attribute to being shocked senseless. A sense of 'oh my Kami' passed over her. How could they have kept this from her for her entire life?

"Your mother was devastated." Fujitaka went on. "She swore off ever having children again. As you well know, it only took two years to convince her otherwise, but she was still so scared. Her attitude with your pregnancy was so much more positive and apprehensive than with Aoi. She was so scared of losing you; she did everything by the book. Followed Doctor's Orders to the tee."

Sakura swallowed. "Alright… I – I won't skip eating." She bit her lip. "D-does Touya remember?" She asked softly.

Fujitaka paused. "He named her." He admitted, his head down. "She was so blue… I think that's where he got the name. We still speak about it sometimes. It's harder for Touya. He thinks he's the reason your mother was so depressed. He still blames himself. He's scared for you too. He's seen you picking at your food when he's here."

Sakura bit back tears, nodding silently. "Well, I guess I'm lucky, then." She murmured as she slipped off the counter. "I'll be in my room."

"I'll call you when dinner's ready."

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Tomoyo stared at the phone, biting her lip. She knew she had to, but…

"Oh for Kami's sake!" Syaoran stomped over, yanking it off the charger and stuffing it into her hand. "We've got limited time before my father finds out we're here. I'd like to see her _before_ then, if you don't mind."

"R-right." Tomoyo slowly dialled the number. She stood huddled in the payphone booth, while Eriol and Syaoran stood on guard outside, keeping a lookout for Mr Li's operatives that were likely to be out looking for them within the hour.

"H-hello?" Tomoyo said when the phone picked up. "Yeah, Mom. It's me. I'm back in Japan for a bit. Listen; can I bring Eriol and Syaoran around? We need to ask you something."

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Mr Li was fuming. His son had disappeared, and his wife was refusing to answer his calls. How _dare_ they disobey him?! He was the leader of the Li Clan! He was one of the most important and influential men in all of Asia! And his own wife and _son_ dared defy _him_?!

This would not do.

Mr Li never failed at anything. He was a master businessman. He had women a finger click away. He had agents in every corner of Asia, and the world, and _no one_ opposed hm and got away with it. There were only about twenty-two weeks before the Kinomoto girl delivered the brat that could destroy the Li Clan for good. He had to get a plan before then, and execute it.

He riffled through the manila folders on his desk, examining his options one at a time. None of them were very… _legal_, but he wasn't known for playing by the rules. No truly powerful man always played by society's rules; he was a law unto himself. He would find the perfect solution and carry it out, legal or not. It mattered not to him.

He grinned as he picked up the final one. None of them had really been his taste. There was the old-fashioned bumping her off, but that would be too easy to trace back to him. There was also the option of hiring thugs to beat her until the kid miscarried. There was good old-fashioned torture, or… Yes… that would do.

That would do nicely.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Syaoran sat stiffly in Tomoyo's parlour, next to a more relaxed Eriol. Unlike Eriol, he hadn't had the… _pleasure_… of meeting Tomoyo's mother before. They had attempted to warn him of her, that she was more like his father than he could imagine – though more compassionate toward her family. The very thought of someone else acting like his father made him physically ill.

"Mr Li-" She said in a business-like tone. Syaoran's attention snapped back to her.

"Call me Syaoran. Mr Li is my father." He said stiffly.

Sonomi eyed him cautiously before proceeding. "Syaoran." She pursed her lips. "I don't see what was so secret that you could not have discussed it with me on the telephone. I trust you will be explaining it to me?" She pressed, raising a finely plucked eyebrow.

Tomoyo sat next to her mother, chewing her lip and glancing between her mother's disciplined, curious face, to Syaoran's desperate, concerned one. He nodded. "I apologise for the lack of information, but it is of the utmost importance that we discuss this in private. My father has ears everywhere – and disobeying him openly over the phone isn't exactly good for my life expectancy." He paused. "I wish to discuss options for your daughter and her cousin." Tomoyo had warned him of referring to Sakura as one of Sonomi's family members. To Sonomi, Sakura was now simply 'my daughter's second cousin'.

"What about my daughter?" Sonomi shot a withering glance to the young woman in question. "She doesn't have anything to do with that girl anymore."

"Mr Li doesn't know that." Tomoyo said in a small voice. "I think I gave him the impression that we were still close…"

"…and that could be dangerous for her." Eriol concluded. "Please, Mrs Daidouji, understand… you've met Mr Li; you know what he's like. He's willing to do _whatever_ it takes to get what he wants. He wont be averse to using a much-loved family member to get to Sakura. This is really about Tomoyo's safety as anything else."

"Well marry her, like they are saying on the news." Sonomi scowled.

Syaoran shook his head. "My father _would_ hurt one, or _all_, of us if that were the case. He wants custody."

"Then let him have it!"

"Mother!"

All eyes snapped to Tomoyo. She was red in the face and he eyes were puffy from concealed tears. They made tracks down her cheeks as she glared heavily at her. "She's your cousin's daughter! She your second cousin too! Mother, she's _family_! We _can't_ just leave her out there alone with a baby on the way! We just _can't_!"

"But you already have." Her mother pointed out.

"_And you don't think I regret it_?!"

Everyone practically stopped breathing as Tomoyo continued on.

"I admit it, I hated Sakura for a while there; she kept blaming me for _everything_ that was going on, knowing fully well that it was _her_ fault." She took a deep breath. "I… I tried so hard to be the supportive friend. I haven't spoken to my best friend in… in six weeks! Don't you think that's killing me? I love her to bits, but I'm only human! There's only so much I can take before I bite back. Of _course_ I got mad and flew off the handle!"

"Tomoyo… honey…" Sonomi murmured, reaching out to crush her daughter in a fierce hug. As Tomoyo sniffled softly into her mother's shirt, Sonomi turned her attention to the stunned Syaoran and Eriol. "Alright…" she sighed, "…what did you have in mind for our cousin?"

Syaoran and Eriol heaved a sigh of relief as they began a detailed explanation of their ideas.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Sakura was sitting down to dinner with her father. They seemed to be distant – it was obvious that Sakura was thinking about what her father had told her earlier, but there was no telling what Fujitaka was thinking about. Sakura pushed the remains of her dinner about her plate with a distracted gaze out the window to her left. The soft humming of the lights and the murmur of the television down the hall were the only noises in the house.

Sighing, Sakura began to eat the rest of her meal. She was only halfway through, and wasn't particularly hungry to begin with, but her talk with her father earlier had knocked back into gear. She didn't want to end up like her mother and lose her child.

She came to a conscious decision at that point in time. No more moping around. She was going to get a job, and support herself, and stop being a burden to her father. She was going to take life by the reins and make it work for her. She would get her life back on track and make a life for herself and her baby. There would be _nothing_ that could stop her. She wouldn't _let_ anything stop her!

A knock at the front door startled them out of their thoughts. Sakura got back to eating her dinner with renewed vigour as her father sighed and stood to answer the door. She was so wrapped up in her excitement about her new decision that she didn't register the familiar voices at the door, opting instead to happily hum to herself blissfully.

She felt something in the pit of her stomach. Butterflies from her anticipation? No… this was something else. It was a shock to her to realise that she was actually _physically_ feeling something move around in her belly, as if there was something fluttering around inside her. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as her hands clamped to her belly. _She could feel her baby moving for the first time_!

She jumped out of the seat and practically flew into the living room, shouting all the way; "Dad! Dad! I felt the baby move!"

"That's wonderful, sweetie!" Her father came out of the living room to crush her into a hug. Sakura wrapped her arms around her father, allowing a giddy giggle to bubble up with her and she bounced on the spot.

A small cough snapped the two of them out of their secluded little family world. All the giddiness seemed to simply vanish from Sakura's veins as her brain began to process who she was seeing. There, sitting on her couch, were Eriol, Tomoyo, Sonomi, Yelan, and… staring straight at her…

"…Syaoran?"

* * *

**Ok… you may now shoot me. Oh, but then again, you wouldn't know what happens next, would you? Nyah! Oh well, I can't make any promises that it'll be up in the next few weeks; I have exams for the next week or so and then I'm going away after that so I may not be able to get anything done. I can only try.** **Sakura's pregnancy: 18 weeks**

**Questions? Comments? You know how to reach me!**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Hey guys, what's up? Exams are over and I managed to get this done in one and a half days. I'm going away on Monday and wont be back til Thursday, so I doubt I'll have any time to write between now and then, since I have other stuff to do. But still, we have this, and I hope you enjoy. **

* * *

**Something of Yours**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Bitterness**

Syaoran stood up quickly, followed by the rest of the group. He was unable to speak; he could only stare at her. Her belly was starting to show; she'd looked good before, but now she was glowing. "Sak – I-I mean… Kinomoto…" He stammered.

Sakura's face hardened. Uneasy, her father ushered everyone but Syaoran out of the room, stating that they 'needed to talk'. Once everyone was out of the room, Sakura managed to tear her gaze away from Syaoran, a blush starting to come across her face. Forcing the murderous thoughts back, she managed to bring her gaze up to look at him. She glared with all her might. "What are _you_ doing here? And with _her_." She spat.

"H-her?" Syaoran scratched the top of his head in confusion. Realisation dawned on him. "Oh. Tomoyo." Sakura's eyes flashed at the name. He involuntarily took a step back. "Uh we-we wanted to help you."

Sakura barely bit back an undignified snort. "Oh yes. You're all so great at helping." She flopped down onto the couch, crossing her legs and glaring up at him.

"Are you sure you should sit down like that?" Syaoran's brow furrowed. "Isn't it dangerous?"

"Since when do you care?"

Syaoran was taken aback by the harsh comment. He managed to stammer a bit before sinking back into the armchair, his face in his hands. "Kinomoto, how can you…? How can you _say_ that? Of course I-"

"Care?" Sakura cut across him. "Oh yes. You care so much that you didn't even come to see me after the Ball. Not one visit or phone call. Hell, there wasn't even a _letter_! Tell me, Li, do you expect me to open up to you, after everything I've gone through? After everything I know I'm _going_ to go through? That I would just _forgive_ you?" She barked out a derisive laugh. "_Boy_, you have your head in the clouds. I don't want you near me. _Or_ my baby. I don't want you in the same _country_ as us. I want you _gone_. For _good_."

"You can't tell me to do that."

Sakura met his eyes. "The Hell I can't." She leaned forward, clasping her hands as they rested on her knees. "I'm not ready to be a mother. You're not ready to be a father. Me? I can adapt." She added, the corners of her mouth twitching in a smirk at Syaoran's insulted look. "You? I doubt you have enough maturity to compare to a five year old."

"This coming from the _girl_ who ran away from me after blurting out that she was pregnant?"

"Oh screw you, Li." She snorted, resting on her back of the chair. "Oh wait; I've already done that. Not that great, either." She added nonchalantly, suddenly finding her nails very interesting as Syaoran's face went red and he began to splutter. "Take my advice." She said darkly, dropping her hand and glaring at him again. "Go be daddy's little man; because I can promise you that if you come anywhere near me after tonight, you'll be daddy's little Princess when I'm through with you."

"No, come on…" Syaoran sighed, "…you don't mean that…"

"Try me."

Syaoran winced at the finality of her tone. Slowly, he took a deep breath and stood, his fists white as they clenched at his sides. Sakura could hear his deep breathing, could see him shaking as he tired to control himself. She took a deep breath of her own as she relaxed against the back of the chair and looked up at him with a poisonous glare. "Get out of my house."

"With pleasure." Syaoran grunted, stalking toward the front door without going for the rest of his party. Sakura stood and stalked over to the doorway, roughly pulling it open.

"What?" She glared at the three women on the other side. Yelan, Sonomi, and Tomoyo had all had their ears pressed against the door, trying to hear what was being said. "Get out of my way." She spat, glaring down at Tomoyo and Sonomi. Her mother's cousin, and her daughter. Her own family. Heh, she thought, it figures.

"Sakura…" Tomoyo rose to her feet and enveloped Sakura in a warm hug. Sakura stood as stiff as a board as Tomoyo blubbered into her ear, honestly not caring what she was saying.

She shoved her off. "Don't touch me." She spat. "I don't care what you have to say. Get away from me and never come back." She swept past them and up the stairs. About halfway up, she turned back to look at her father. "I'm not hungry anymore; you can finish my dinner if you want it. I'll take my dessert later on tonight, if I feel my appetite come back. Good night." And then she continued thundering up the stairs.

She slammed her bedroom door shut and went to open the window. Her eyes spotted two cars parked out the front. Syaoran was leaning against one of them, glaring at the front door with a smouldering look of absolute rage marring his handsome features. Almost as if he felt Sakura's eyes on him, he turned to glance up at the window, just in time to catch Sakura's eyes before she turned to close the window again. They locked eyes before she snorted and slammed the window shut again.

Sakura felt a fluttering in her stomach that reminded her of her little impending bundle of joy, and managed a small smile. This was all for the baby, she told herself; they were both better off if she and the father stayed separate. Maybe, when the baby was older, she might seek Syaoran out. But, for now, she was content to be on her own.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

"Sakura?" Fujitaka knocked on her bedroom door two hours later. It was past ten, but Fujitaka had a slight suspicion that Sakura would still be awake. His suspicions were proved correct when a murmured 'come in' greeted him.

He opened the door to see his daughter sitting up in bed, staring out the window. She turned to him with a serene smile on her lips, her eyes seeming far away, and her hand resting on her belly. "I feel so… liberated." She whispered. "Like nothing's weighing me down… like I'm free."

"Im so proud of you." Fujitaka murmured, sitting next to her and brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "You handled yourself really well tonight. And you didn't go crawling back to Syaoran, like most girls your age would have done. You held your own and you didn't waver in the slightest." She kissed her forehead. "I couldn't have asked for a more level-headed daughter." His eyes flickered toward her stomach, which was exposed to the warm summer air. "And my grandchild couldn't have a better mother."

Sakura was positively glowing. "Thanks, Dad." She smiled. "That means a lot."

"I just came up here to see how you're doing."

"I'm fine." Sakura chuckled. "Though I feel an itching to slap something, I'm ok. Bubby hasn't stoped moving since dinner. I guess he can feel all the excitement, huh?"

"He?" Fujitaka raised an eyebrow. "What makes you so sure it's a he? Your ultrasound isn't until next week."

"I just have a sneaking suspicion." Sakura laughed. "I'll be damned if that ass's first child isn't a son."

"You really think so?" Fujitaka laughed. "And what are you going to do about him if he takes after his father?" He teased.

"Oh, don't wish _that_ on me, Daddy!" Sakura whined, laying down on her back. "But if he does, he'll soon know it."

Fujitaka laughed, glad to have his happy daughter back. She'd been hiding from him far too long for the last fourteen weeks; it was refreshing to see her smile again. It reminded him that she was still there; she was still his little girl, and nothing would, or _could_, ever change that. He lay down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "My little girl…" he murmured, his eyes drifting shut as consciousness left him, "…all grown up."

Sakura smiled as she curled into her father's side and joined him in asleep.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Tomoyo had not stopped crying all night.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Syaoran hollered, aiming a punch at the wall. "Will you shut the _fuck_ up, Daidouji?!"

"No!"

He growled. "Damnit, she's just your cousin."

"She's been my best friend since we were babies!"

"_She's carrying my flesh and blood_!"

Silence invaded the room following this outburst. Syaoran was so enraged; he could think of little else. Couldn't she see that he was trying to _help _her?! His temper had been roused so violently that he felt the need to break something. Preferably something living, to hear the satisfying scream of pain; he'd never felt so angry in his _entire_ life!

"Perhaps," Sonomi started from her chair by the fireplace, "all our past behaviours have soured her to us."

"You think?" Syaoran bit back sarcastically.

"Give her time to calm down." Eriol suggested, rubbing Tomoyo's back as she fought to regain her composure. "I'm sure she'll be more willing to receive us if we play it slowly."

"There's no time!"

"Syaoran, calm yourself down this instant!" Yelan cried. "You're not doing _anyone_ any good just pacing around here. Go outside and go for a run; burn off some of your anger, then come back and we'll think of something."

"I'd rather not, if it's all the same to you."

"Syaoran!" His mother cried again. "For goodness sake, boy! Your father is _counting_ on her hating us! We have to try to get into her good books again."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Syaoran bit out. "She hates us, remember? She doesn't want _me_ anywhere near her. She said as much tonight."

"Sakura often says things she does not mean." Sonomi set down her tea on the table next to her as she regarded Syaoran from he place by the fire. "It is likely that, in a fit of passion, all her pent-up rage unleashed itself; and you just happened to be the unfortunate target. I'm sure it could have happened to _any_ of us. In fact, she said something similar to Tomoyo, as well."

"A-all the mo-more reason to th-think she m-means it!" Tomoyo managed to splutter out, before dissolving into hysterics again.

Syaoran's back hit the wall. He drowned out the sound of the women in the room bickering with each other over a course of action as he slid to the ground. He drew his knees to his chest, holding them there with an arm wrapped around his legs and his face on his knees. "I have to get out of here…" he muttered to himself, "…I can't take this any more."

Everyone was so engrossed n the current conversation that no one but Sonomi noticed Syaoran exiting the room. Excusing herself with the pretence of using the bathroom, she followed him out onto the balcony of a nearby room. His eyes were closed and his face was upturned to bask in the light of the full moon. She slowly and quietly came up behind him, resting her arms on the railing.

"It's not the end, you know." She murmured. "Don't give up."

"What else am I supposed to do?" Syaoran's voice was thick, as if he were trying to prevent himself from crying.

"We'll just have to take it slowly. Work from the outside in. I understand that Meiling is still on good terms with Sakura. Maybe we can work from there."

"Oh, so now we're using my cousin?" Syaoran's voice barely cracked.

"It might be the only way." Sonomi sighed, turning to walk away. "I wont tell the others you're here. You can have as much time as you need."

"Thanks, Ma'am."

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**Um… in case you haven't noticed, I'm trying to have this as a more… emotional story now. It's not about the plot; not really. It's all about characters and their feelings. I know the last few chapters have been slow, but the beginning of the story was so fast that I think its necessary to slow the pace a little.**

**Until next time. Please review.**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Hey guys! What's up? I know it's been a bit, and you guys are anxious to see what's next. Why keep you waiting? Here it is!

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**Something of Yours**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**It's a…**

Sakura rubbed her tummy a little as she walked, trying to sooth the baby in her womb. She and Meiling were out window-shopping for baby things, the morning of the day she was booked in for her ultrasound. She was to be in there at one that afternoon; it was currently eleven thirty in the morning, and Sakura was making the most of her time, buying some small things, and looking around at cradles and bassinets. Meiling had spoken to her cousins several times throughout the week, and was slightly put off that they intended to use _her_ to get back into Sakura's good books. It wasn't that she didn't _want_ to help them. She just didn't want to jeopardize her friendship with Sakura or any possible relationship with her baby cousin. When she'd asked Sakura why she didn't hate her like her cousins, her answer was relatively simple:

"_You didn't abandon me for one of them. You may be _his_ cousin, but you still supported me. The only reason I have a problem with Eriol is that he chose to abandon me for Tomoyo."_

Meiling barely noticed when Sakura stopped in her tracks, staring ahead of them. It was only when Sakura's hand shot out and pulled Meiling to a stop that she realised that Syaoran, Eriol, and Tomoyo were walking out of the ice cream parlour across the street. Syaoran, to Sakura's estimation, was deep in thought, as Meiling told her was often the case these days. Tomoyo and Eriol were whispering things to each other, with Eriol's arm slung around Tomoyo's shoulder. Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Do they know about my appointment this afternoon?"

"Huh?" Meiling's gaze snapped around the rather crowded street before landing on the party of three across the road. She bit her lip. "Oh… I mighta mentioned that I was going along to my Aunt… I don't know if she told them or not."

"I see…" Sakura's voice was cold as steel.

"Sakura…" Meiling whimpered, chasing after her as she began stalking off. "I'm sorry!"

"I don't mind." Sakura's voice was still hard, but had lost some of its edge. "It's all right. You can tell them the gender afterwards if you want."

Meiling was gobsmacked. "I… I thought you wanted nothing to do with them anymore? Wont telling them…?"

"Give me another tie to them?" Sakura glanced back over at Meiling's face with an arched eyebrow. Meiling gave a sheepish nod. "I guess so… but y'know, blood is the strongest bond there can be between two people. Whether I like it or not, they're still biologically my family. Even if I have nothing to do with them. Even the Li's. I've been talking to my grandfather… he's really old-fashioned. He's going as far as thinking of arranging a marriage for me. I told him I wont do it," she quickly assuaged Meiling's fears, "but he was talking about marrying me off to Li."

"Is he _insane_?" Meiling almost screeched.

"Most likely." Sakura checked her watch. "Hey, there's an hour til my appointment. I have to get home and changed. I'll meet you there."

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Syaoran was effectively ignoring his cousin and cousin's girlfriend behind him. He didn't even know why on God's green earth he'd even _considered_ coming out with them, let alone actually _doing_ it. What was he _thinking_?!

He rounded the corner out of the crowded street. He'd seen Sakura in the other street with Meiling, and didn't particularly care to be in the same vicinity as his elder cousin. She'd flat-out refused to bring up the subject of reconciliation between himself and Sakura in the other girl's presence, leaving Syaoran with no way in. Also, since she and Sakura had gotten really chummy, it was 'Sakura this', or 'Sakura that'. It was really starting to tick him off. Although he took what he could get when it came to news about the baby.

He knew about her appointment that afternoon and had half a mind to gatecrash. Meiling had assured him that, if he even stepped foot in the building, that she would pummel him to within an inch of his life; and he believed her. Meiling was always fiercely loyal to her friends. Which was why he was so mad. She'd _never_ abandoned her family for a friend before – this was the first time. Although, Syaoran reasoned, Sakura was both a friend _and_ family now, in a sort of round about, twisted way.

Giving the other two the slip, he took a deep breath as he reached the park. He was so close to giving up and going home. There was just _no way_ to get into Sakura's life again. He knew she hated him, knew she considered him the worst thing that had ever happened to her. But he still wanted to protect her from his father. God only knew what that horrible man had in store for her. Syaoran had seen some of the horrid things that his father had done to people; namely women who refused to abort any illegitimate children that he had sired. There was nothing stopping him from doing the same thing to Sakura.

There was nothing for it. He had to set Sakura bodyguards, someone loyal to him and him alone, and hope for the best. That didn't necessarily mean that he would leave. He was just… watching from a distance. Keeping an eye out on both sides, as it were. He wanted to ensure that his father didn't try anything fishy, as his mother was sure would happen, and ensure that nothing else happened to Sakura and, by default, the baby.

Sitting down on an abandoned park bench, he tried to collect his thoughts. The person that had sat down next to him made this impossible, however. He turned his head to start telling them to leave, but all thoughts left him at the sight of the young woman. He had to blink several times to ascertain that, no, he was _not_ dreaming. "K-K-Kinomoto?"

"I don't know what I'm doing here." She admitted softly, clutching the shopping bag in her hand and staring down at her lap. Her face was hard, and cold, hiding any emotion. He tried to say something, but his words were caught in his throat. "Look, don't get any ideas. I haven't forgiven you. I don't think I ever will." She managed a small smile as she looked out toward the children's playground. "Things are changing. _I'm_ changing. I… I don't know why, but my gut feeling is telling me that I'm in trouble… something _beyond_ you and what you can do. Tell me if I'm right."

"Probably." Syaoran managed to push out. "My father…"

"I thought so." She sighed, becoming deadly serious again, and looking him in the face for the first time since she sat down. "What should I be looking out for?"

"Poisons… rapists… thugs…" Syaoran heard himself whispering before he could stop himself. "My father… isn't above things like that to get rid of things that he doesn't want."

Sakura didn't say anything for a moment, instead choosing to look out at the children again. "What are you going to do?"

"What?"

"About me." Sakura clarified. "It's too late to abort – not that I would – and I'm not planning on giving over custody. What are you going to do?"

"Nothing." Syaoran finally admitted, both to himself and her. "There's nothing I _can_ do, except try to make sure that whatever Father is planning doesn't work. But I can't even do that if… well…"

"If I don't let you in." Sakura nodded. "L-" she paused, "_Syaoran_," he gave a start at the use of his first name, "I'm not going to say that it will be easy. There are things that I'm afraid will happen." She looked in the opposite direction. "But I think the thing I'm scared of most is… you."

"_Me_?"

"I'm afraid that, if I let you in again…" she took a deep breath, steeling herself, "…I'm afraid I'll lose myself again."

"What?"

"I think I loved you." Sakura blurted out, feeling mighty low with herself. Syaoran could only stare at her in shock. "I don't know how, since we barely knew each other, but I think I did. Maybe I loved the _idea_ of you… I don't know. The point is that I'm afraid it will happen again. And I can't afford that. It's not safe for me."

"I agree."

"What?" Now it was Sakura's turn to stare.

"Right now, anywhere around me is unsafe." He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "I can't make any promises, but I can try my best."

"I know I said I hated you," Sakura bit her lip, steeling herself for something that she _knew_ had to be done, even if she didn't like it, "and I know I said I wanted nothing to do with you… but I'd like to try to be at least on speaking terms. On a superficial level only. For the baby."

Syaoran was speechless. Here he was, trying to find a way into her life again, with all these elaborate and shameless schemes, and the chance was being _presented_ to him! He didn't know what Gods were smiling upon him that day, but he wasn't about to turn it down. He was wary though. "What do you… what do you mean?" He frowned.

"I'll give you news." She shrugged. "Pictures, when the baby's born. Things like that. A remedial kind of involvement. Maybe visitation if you're in the country."

"I… I'd like that."

Sakura handed him an address. "Be there in about half an hour." She said, before getting up and walking away. He watched her go with an awestruck look on his face.

"Was that Sakura?"

Tomoyo and Eriol had finally found him. Syaoran didn't hear them as he stared at the small card in his hand. It was… a doctor's surgery? Why on _Earth_…?

A light went on inside his head. She… she couldn't have been…!

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

"_What_?!" Mr Li sat forward in his chair.

"_They spoke sir."_ Mr Li's 'spy' in Japan told him over the phone. _"The Kinomoto girl approached Master Syaoran and spoke to him. She spoke of her fears. He, when asked, warned her about every method you've considered thus far."_

"All right…" Mr L rubbed his temples. "Not what I wanted to hear, but good work. I'll get back to you. Keep an eye on them."

"_Yessir."_

Mr Li hung up the phone. If they were speaking again, then that posed a problem. His entire plan revolved around her _not_ trusting his son. Why couldn't the boy leave well enough alone?! Couldn't the ungrateful child see that he was doing this for his own good?! For the good of their entire _family_?!

He eyed the folders left on his table. There was really only one option left, now.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Sakura sat in the waiting room with Meiling, fanning herself. She was so nervous. Meiling had been told shortly after the invite that Syaoran was coming, and was ecstatic that Sakura was giving him a chance to be involved, however minimal it was, and was excited beyond belief. Sakura wasn't feeling so great. She really, really, _really_ needed to pee, but the doctor had said that she couldn't. It was, to put it frankly, very uncomfortable.

Syaoran was on the other side of the room, his head in his hands. It was still spinning from earlier. He was just about to stand up and go outside when the receptionist came out. "The doctor will see you now."

All three jumped to their feet and marched stiffly into the room. The next few minutes were a blur to Sakura, as she changed and answered questions that the doctor asked. She soon found herself lying on a hard bed-type thing with cold gel on her belly and some kind of medical instrument pressed into it. She barely registered as the doctor made some notes on the clipboard and muttered to himself. She was snapped out of her thoughts as the doctor addressed her.

"Would you like to know the gender?" He asked kindly, helping her to readjust herself to be a little more comfortable. Sakura nodded enthusiastically. "All right, Miss Kinomoto, if you'll only watch the screen…" He pressed a little harder on her stomach. "See here, this little thing here is your baby." He indicated a dark space on the screen.

Sakura had tears in her eyes as she nodded. Syaoran and Meiling were just as transfixed to the screen as she was, hanging onto the doctor's every word. "Here is the head," he pointed it out, "and the genital area is here." He pointed that out too. Blindly, Sakura reached out for a hand, finding Syaoran's and squeezing it. Surprised, he gave a short squeeze back. The doctor looked at it a moment longer, before turning and smiling.

"Congratulations. You're having a little girl."

**

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Yay! Here it is; Saku-chan and Syao-kun are having a little girl! I know a lot of people wanted it to be a son, but I think the idea of a daughter is cuter. Not everyone had sons first up (or at all). **

**So, I hope you enjoyed, and stay tuned!**

**Feedback is appreciated.**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Hey guys. What's up? I'm sorry for taking so long. Lack of inspiration has really taken a toll. I'll **_**try**_** to get another update up around Christmas time, but I'm not making any promises. That's about all I have to say for now. Enjoy.

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**Something of Yours**

**Chapter 15**

**The Past**

Bubbly squeals of excitement bounded throughout the Daidouji manor. Syaoran watched, perplexed, as Tomoyo grabbed Eriol's hands and began bouncing up and down rapidly like a Mexican Jumping Bean. He watched, not really paying attention, as the various occupants in the room grew accustomed to the news he had just shared with them.

A girl.

He was going to have a daughter.

That was the only thought floating around his brain; he was having a _daughter_! He still hadn't managed to wipe the silly grin off his face that had spread when he was in the doctor's office.

A daughter…

"…you there? Syaoran? Syaoran!"

Syaoran snapped out of his daze, snapping his head toward his mother. She looked grim; that expression successfully wiped any feeling of giddiness from him. His innards turned cold, already guessing what his mother wanted to speak to him about. "Yes?"

"You know what this means, correct?"

Syaoran blinked. "What?"

The corner of Yelan's mouth quirked up into a smile. "Your father is worried about a _son_. You know this, correct?"

The gears in Syaoran's head began to turn. "Yeah…?" This wasn't good.

"He is unlikely to believe us when we say that the child is a girl."

"I know…"

"He will likely attempt to take measures to ensure that the child is never born."

"I know. I already told Sakura."

Yelan sighed. "The best we can do now is keep an eye on Sakura and hope that all goes well. I shall call your father. Perhaps you should go and speak to Sakura again."

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Mr Li hung up the phone slowly, calmly. His wife had just told him the most _cunning_ lie. The whore's child was a girl, indeed! If she thought that her husband would fall for that ridiculous lie, she had another thing coming. He knew better; no son of _his_ would sire a daughter before a son! It was just not possible. Unheard of. There was no way that the slut's kid was a girl. Simple as that.

Eyeing the manila folders on the table, he sipped his coffee. He had there, in front of him, all that there was to know about the girl and her family. Her grandfather, for instance, was a renowned archaeologist, as was her father; both still taught in universities, though separate ones. Each had a published work of their own, both on the ancient tombs of Egypt, though different Pharaohs. Her mother, while now deceased, had once been a well-known model. It was rather curious, though, that there were no records of a cause of death for the young model, who had perished shortly after her daughter's eighth birthday.

The girl's older brother, Kinomoto Touya, was living on-campus at Toudai and attending seminars in order to become a doctor. Interesting. He was also listed as the divorcee of Mizuki Kaho – the marriage was dissolved due to 'irreconcilable differences', and they had no children – and current de-facto partner to one Tsukishiro Yukito, also studying at Toudai to become an elementary school counsellor. Very interesting…

The folder on Kinomoto Sakura herself was the most interesting to him, though. At the age of ten, just two ears after losing her mother, she took up part-time children's modelling. This continued until age thirteen, when her father had them move house due to the old man that was stalking her, claiming that they were having a relationship. Living in constant fear of the man for a year, things began to relax for them, and she began to attend public schooling.

Mr Li's eyes lingered on the name of the man who had stalked the Kinomoto girl.

Interesting…

It was with a grim smile that Mr Li picked up the phone and dialled a number. Smirking with satisfaction, he waited for the dial tone to cease. It took perhaps ten seconds before it was answered by a wheezing, old voice. "Hello, Hamada Osamu speaking. How may I help you?"

"Mr Hamada?" Mr Li inquired, earning a grunt of acknowledgement from the other end. "This is Li Xiao Chen, head of the Li Clan in Hong Kong, China."

The sounds of scuffling and murmured cursing on the other end were almost comical to Mr Li. "Ah… ah… y-yes? How may I help you, Mr Li?"

"I was wondering if, perhaps, you have ever heard of the child model, Kinomoto Sakura?" He asked smoothly, knowing full well that, indeed, the old man knew of the child.

"Ah, yes!" Mr Li could almost hear the man nodding through the bad reception. "Yes, we are dating. She seems to enjoy playing with me, though; I haven't seen her since the last time she was on the news. Hah! Those people know nothing! That child is mine!"

Mr Li's eye twitched. The man was an imbecile. But still, he forcibly reminded himself, he would be imperative to his success. "I assume you would like to know where to find her?" He asked, false concern ringing in his voice. The old man on the other end fumbled again, murmuring curses and other non-flattering things. "I could tell you, if you like. You could finally claim her back and take responsibility for your child."

"Oh, I would like that very much!" The old man cheered. "Tell me, do you know where to find my precious little flower and our pending seedling?"

Mr Li's eye twitched again. "Yes. Have you heard of a place called Tomoeda, in central Japan?" The man made an 'uh-huh' sound. "You may find Miss Kinomoto there. I do not know her exact address, but I think, if you looked hard enough, you would be able to spot her."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" The man was ecstatic. "How can I ever repay you for-"

Mr Li hung up.

Now, let the games begin.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Sakura was twirling a pencil in her hand, scribbling names down and erasing them at random. Ever since she had gotten home from the clinic that afternoon, she'd been thinking up names for her child. So far, her favourites were 'Akiko', 'Kumiko', and 'Hanako'. She knew it was still too early, but she was off in her own little world, blissfully ignorant of the fact that she was the only person in the house.

She was started, to say the least, at the knock on the door. Putting the pad and pencil aside, she padded over to the front door, looking out the curtain to see Syaoran looking over his shoulder at some joggers on the opposite side of the room. Frowning, Sakura opened the door a fraction of an inch. "Can I help you, Syaoran?" She all but demanded.

He winced. "I was… er… I was hoping we could talk?"

She paused for a moment, considering his proposition. Her mind flashed back to earlier that day, when she had asked him to join her and Meiling at the clinic. She allowed a small smile, and opened the door. "Come on in. I'll make some hot chocolate." She chirped, remembering that he had once confided in her that it was his favourite drink in a semi-drunken stupor – not unlike the one that had landed them in their current predicament, though they were not nearly as sloshed. Surprised that she had remembered that little detail, he blushed and stepped inside, hanging up his coat.

Sakura murmured something about being in the kitchen as she raced off. Syaoran meandered into the living room, making himself comfortable on the couch. He awkwardly sat there, playing with his fingers, darting his eyes around the room, until a small pad of paper and a pencil caught his eye. Picking it up and reading it, he had to consciously suppress the broad grin that threatened to break out across his face. Glancing around to ensure that Sakura was no longer in the room, he scribbled down two names – one Japanese, the other Chinese.

"So, what's up?" Sakura asked, coming back in with a tray of hot chocolate and chocolate cake. Syaoran had only just replaced the pad and pencil on the couch as he turned to offer a hand to her; she merely shrugged it off and sat down on the armchair across from him, slicing the cake.

Syaoran had to do a double take. Sakura had swept her hair up into a messy bun, with small tendrils of hair falling to frame her eyes. Eyes which were, at the moment, calm and happy as they gazed at him. Something he had never, ever, seen in her eyes when they were directed at himself. His heart swelled, wondering how on _earth_ she was affecting him _now_, of all times. Why not _before_, when they still had the chance for a _real_ relationship?

"My mother suggested I come speak to you." He accepted his beverage and cake with a small 'thanks'. "She said that my father didn't believe that it's – she's – a girl."

"Why am I not surprised?" Sakura sat back. "I hope my baby didn't inherit the 'stupid gene' from your family, Syaoran." She teased. He wanted to correct her and say that it was 'their baby', but didn't really want to risk their new, tenuous – dare he think it…? – friendship. Such a correction was likely to risk any form of fragile understanding that they had reached shattering into a million pieces.

"Let's hope she inherits her mother's brains, then." He winked cheekily, "…and her father's looks."

Sakura paused for a second. It took her a grand total of five seconds before she began choking on her hot chocolate, laughing. Syaoran thought it was pretty cute; even the part where a little dribble of the liquid had run out of her nose from snorting so hard. "Oh… oh…! Sakura laughed. "Oh my Kami!" She slapped her knee. "That's a good one, Syaoran!"

Her laughter was infectious; Syaoran soon found himself laughing at his own little joke, taking a few deep breaths to calm down. It took them a few moments to come back to themselves. By the time they had calmed themselves, it had been ten minutes. Sakura collapsed backward, leaning on the back of her chair, a small chuckle escaping her every now and again.

They made small talk for a little while, finding each other's company not as repulsive as they had once thought. They _did_ get over a rather heated debate regarding Tomoyo and Eriol, but otherwise they got along just fine. Almost like friends would. There was still an awkwardness that one would share with a former partner or lover – the kind where one couldn't help but have brief flashbacks to their time together – but both were wise to ignore the slight reddening of the other's cheeks or slight stumbling over words. Sakura found herself enjoying Syaoran's company – a feat in and of itself.

They watched television for a while, Sakura moving to sit next to Syaoran in order to better see the screen. It was some anime about a gender-changing guy. Sakura could follow it better than Syaoran, often explaining to him what was going on during the ad breaks.

"So, he turns into a she when he's hit with cold water? And they still call 'her' a guy?" Syaoran clarified.

"Mhmm." Sakura nodded, having watched the series a few years ago, when she was younger. "And then when he's hit with hot water, he turned back into a guy again."

"Weird." Syaoran laughed, remembering to take note of the title; it seemed that Sakura really enjoyed the series – he was thinking of buying it for her to watch in the later stages of her pregnancy. "Do you have any copies of it?" He asked suddenly, the show ending and switching to a different series; Sakura promptly turned the television off.

"Nah, I could never find a place that sold them." Her voice held a small tone of regret. It was her favourite series growing up, and she had never been able to find a copy of it elsewhere. "Why?"

"Just wondering." He shrugged. "It was… interesting, for lack of a better term."

"You can say that again."

Syaoran glanced at the clock. Half past eleven. He grimaced. "'Spose I'd better go. S'gettin' late." He yawned.

"I guess." Sakura yawned too. "'Night, Syaoran." She murmured, walking him to the door. "Ill see ya 'round."

"Bye." He gave her a two-fingered wave as he left, shutting the door behind him.

Sakura smiled to herself, going into the other room to clean up the tray she had neglected to put away earlier. Midway through clearing the table, her eyes caught the writing pad, still on the couch, and the writing on it that was, most definitely, _not_ hers. Figuring that Syaoran had scribbled something down, she picked it up to read it.

A Japanese name, and a Chinese name. Sakura smiled as her little girl moved inside her tummy, as if in approval of the two names laid out by her father. He had good taste in names, Sakura decided.

Emi; 'beautiful blessing'.

Xiu; 'beautiful'.

**

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N'awww! How sweet! I think Syaoran has good taste in names, don't you?**

**I hope this chapter is up to standard. I wrote most of it in one sitting, and I really couldn't be bothered to read it over again. I've re-read it once; I'm so bored with it right now, and I just wanted to get it over and done with.**

**Oh yeah, and the anime I referenced in here was _Ranma ½_. I highly suggest you look into it; it's hella funny, and cute in places. . I also don't own it. It is the property of Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Sakura's Pregnancy: 19 weeks.**

**Feedback is _adored_.**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**I'm currently in the process of editing the entire fic. This fic has always had a special place in my heart, but lately, I don't feel like it's as good as it can be. In an attempt to make it at least slightly better, I'm going through and re-editing each and every chapter. Its not necessary to re-read; I'm just improving the quality. I've already completed Chapter One.

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Card Captor or anything associated with it. All rights to Card Captor Sakura and affiliated products belong to CLAMP and the other proper entities.

**Summary:** A secret fling with the school nerd was all that it was supposed to be. Sakura's deepest, darkest fear is that it'll be revealed. Little does she know... its already too late; it'll eventually have to be revealed in the most public fashion possible.

**Rating:** M

**Pairings:** SxS ExT

**Genre:** Drama/Romance

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**Something of Yours**

**Chapter Sixteen**

The next two weeks saw Sakura and Syaoran talking more and more, until they reached a sort of agreement regarding the baby and living arrangements. Syaoran had already offered to pay for Sakura to travel to China with him a few times a year, for the child to visit her ancestral home, to which she reluctantly agreed. She also agreed to let him pay for her to, when she was old enough, learn to speak both Mandarin and Cantonese, allowing her to have Japanese as a first language. This offer was also extended to Sakura herself, and was accepted.

To say that Syaoran was on cloud nine was an understatement. While he knew that he couldn't bring himself to apply for custody, as that would deny Sakura the chance to be a mother to her eldest child, he could try to assure that the life of the mother of his child was as comfortable as he could make it. After all, until he married and had a son, the girl was to be his successor in taking over the Li Clan family and business. He wanted to ensure that his daughter had everything that the Li Clan could offer her.

The two of them were on the lookout for anything suspicious. Unbeknownst to Sakura, Syaoran had taken the extra precaution of setting her a bodyguard to keep an eye on her. It was with shock and anger that Sakura had called Syaoran to confirm, knowing that he had said that his father would be out to get her and could do so in the guise of help. The fact that he had done such a thing without her knowledge had infuriated her, but once she had taken a step outside herself to look at it from his point of view, she had understood.

He was terrified of his father; really afraid that he might do something that could harm her or the baby. This was just his way of ensuring that she was as protected as possible. At twenty-one weeks pregnant, she was restricting herself to walks in the park instead of her traditional gym visits, leaving herself wide open to attack or worse. It was irksome for the young woman, though, to be followed everywhere by someone, even if they were not the typical 'black suit' bodyguard.

In fact, her protection was in the guise of a man in his mid-to-late twenties, wearing casual street clothes and a bulletproof vest. Sakura herself was forced to wear one as well, much to her disdain. But, again, she amazed Syaoran by looking at it from the outside, and acknowledging that it was a necessary precaution. So far, much to _everyone's_ amazement, she had agreed to just about every single one of Syaoran's suggestions, believing them to be logical and in both her own best interests, and the best interests of their child.

The one thing that she hadn't agreed on was to move into the Daidouji Manor, where Syaoran, his mother, and his cousin were living. It was not so much a matter of her safety that had her reluctant, but merely, she'd confessed to her father, an embarrassment on her part regarding her treatment of her cousin. Fujitaka had understood her feelings regarding the subject and did not push.

Fujitaka was reluctant to accept that his little girl was all grown up. She was barely eighteen and about to be a mother. How on Earth was he supposed to adjust to being a grandfather at only forty-five? Regardless of the fact that Nadeshiko had been a year _younger_ than Sakura when they'd had _their_ first child, Fujitaka felt that eighteen was _much_ too young to be starting a family. He reasoned with himself that he had been older than Nadeshiko and was able to provide for her, but Sakura had no husband. She was only _just_ beginning to get along with Syaoran in the first place.

Fujitaka would never show his daughter how angry he was with her. He wasn't angry that she'd gotten pregnant, no, he was angry that the pregnancy had caused so much public attention. Every day at work he'd been forced to endure never-ending questions from his students and colleagues. Was it really true? Was the baby _truly_ related to the infamous _Li Clan_? Would Sakura _actually_ marry into the Clan? Was she _in love_ with the young Li-sama…?

It was Sakura's twenty-first week, and Fujitaka was wearing down.

He would never allow himself to abandon his baby, his little girl, but he was scared. He was more scared than he would ever like to admit. Sakura had shared with him the worries that Syaoran had regarding her safety, and he was beyond petrified that Syaoran's father would take it upon himself to contact Hamada. And if, in fact, he _did_ take it upon himself, then they would need to be very careful. He had reminded Sakura of this, and she had nodded her head solemnly, stating that she _knew_ that, that she'd warned Syaoran of the possibility, and that she'd be careful.

Knowing there was nothing more that Fujitaka could do for Sakura, he allowed himself to merely be there for her. However, he'd quickly realised that he had been wrong; that there _was_ something he could do for her. He'd taken it upon himself to call Touya, who was still furious at her, refusing to speak to Sakura after she had started defending Syaoran once the pregnancy was revealed. In truth, he was angry about her decision to let Syaoran become a part of her life, when he didn't feel that she should have. Initially, Touya had merely been seeking to avoid Sakura's rapidly worsening temper, but now, he was mad.

OoOoOoOoOoO 

"Pass me the scissors, Touya-kun?"

Touya passed his de-facto the equipment, his smile barely reaching his eyes as he watched Yukito cutting out various floral patterns for their bathroom curtains. Touya was never one for the girly stuff, but Yukito expressed a delight in pretty things, and had made a hobby of creating new, and often feminine, designs with which to decorate their on-campus apartment. Touya figured he'd allow Yukito to do whatever made him happy, so long as he didn't go overboard.

Yukito himself was humming merrily as he snipped at the fabric with the small sewing scissors. He seemed tranquil enough; not even Touya could tell what was on his mind. In truth, Yukito's mind was miles away, thinking of Touya's baby sister, whom Yukito had known since her birth. He was worried for her, but he had every confidence in her judgement. If Sakura thought what she was doing was right, then it most likely was.

Sakura was like a sister to him. Sure, she'd had a crush on him when she was a child, and he knew about it. After all, she'd been only ten at the time, and he'd let her down as gently as possible. At the time, he was still struggling with his developing feelings for his best friend. It had hurt like hell when he'd off and married Kaho. Of course, Touya had come back to him saying that he'd only married her to hide what he had always been afraid of. He'd said that Kaho had helped him discover that he was only making himself miserable by committing himself to her, when his heart was truly given to another. She'd said that, while she loved him, she wouldn't force him to lie to himself for her. It was with her blessings that Touya had finally approached Yukito about his feelings.

Kaho was still a close friend of both of them. For Touya, it was awkward at first, to have his ex-wife being friends with his boyfriend, but he eventually got over it. Kaho had since started dating again, and was happily in a relationship of three months with a man by the name of Kinjo Akio. Touya's approval had seemed to be important to Kaho who, for some strange reason, had dragged him over to meet her ex-husband. At first, Kinjo had been jealous, but as soon as the circumstances of the divorce were made aware to him, he had happily consented to the meeting, and occasional double date. Touya was mainly concerned with the reaction to his relationship with Yukito, but since it was a positive, and Kaho seemed happy, he had nodded and snickered at something that Kaho had whispered to him.

Yukito's merry humming came to a halt when Touya had abruptly stood and began to pace. Over the last four months, that was not an uncommon occurrence, and Yukito could easily identify the source of his distress. "Touya-kun, you'll wear a track in the carpet if you keep pacing like that. Sakura-chan is a big girl; she can take care of herself. You don't need to look after her anymore. She's an adult."

"I just can't _believe_ her!"

Yukito sighed. Here he went again. This was always the way Touya's rants started; he would make a comment, seeming out of the blue, and then launch into a full-on rant about Sakura's decisions and her situation. Then he would rant on about Syaoran and how he was doing 'nothing' to help her. Never mind that the younger man was paying for all of Sakura's treatment, education for the infant, and even additional education for Sakura, as long as she wished it. Not to mention the protection that he was wrapping her up in. He was doing as right by her as he could.

"It could be worse." Yukito put his craft down as he attempted to reason with Touya, once more in vain. "He could completely abandon her. He could have stayed in China and supported his father's decision to take the child. But he didn't and he's sticking up for Sakura-chan, trying to protect her at the cost of being disowned by his entire family."

Touya sighed. Yukito was right, but he'd never admit it.

**

* * *

**

Hamada Osamu stepped off the train, casting his yellowed eyes around the station, looking for a sign that might point him in the right direction. He had arrived three towns over, still wary that people may disclaim his relationship with the beauteous Kinomoto Sakura and the paternity of her unborn infant. It mattered not that he had not laid eyes on her since she was thirteen; he knew the child to be his.

He was ever so giddy to finally see her again, he thought, as he climbed into a bus that would take him directly to the heart of Tomoeda. He'd booked a room in a motel indefinitely, determined to find Sakura and take her back for his own. While he was at it, he would annihilate that puny little boy that claimed to be his child's father – again, it didn't matter that Sakura herself had said that it was his baby; Osamu knew otherwise. The little dear was just shy.

He drummed his fingers impatiently on the window on the bus as he waited. It would take over an hour to finally get there. He amused himself with thinking of all the things that he could do to the puny brat that wanted his woman for his own. Mere death was too good for him; no, Osamu would ensure that he suffered. He would rip his balls off and feed them to the dog, before removing that which made him a man and feed it to the fishes.

Then, he would take pleasure in cutting every square inch of his young, tender flesh from him, piece by piece. He could imagine the sight and taste of his blood as he drank it, taking the youth's strength with it. He could maybe cut off an arm and cauterise the wound, so he didn't die on him. He wanted his fun before the young Li's life disappeared.

Oh yes. Li Syaoran would beg for death by the time Hamada Osamu was done with him. It was all part of the fun.

* * *

**I'm sorry for the lateness, but life gets in the way. I know the end was a little creepy, but the guy is a whacko. We all know this.**

**Until next time!**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Long time, no see. I don't really have an excuse, except that I've been reading a lot of manga – if it helps, one of them was CCS, so I'm back in the CCS game. Expect more CCS stuff from me in the future from now on!**

**Also, it was a really big drama with the Document Manager to upload this.

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Card Captor or anything associated with it. All rights to Card Captor Sakura and affiliated products belong to CLAMP and the other proper entities.

**Summary:** A secret fling with the school nerd was all that it was supposed to be. Sakura's deepest, darkest fear is that it'll be revealed. Little does she know... its already too late; it'll eventually have to be revealed in the most public fashion possible.

**Rating:** M

**Pairings:** SxS ExT

**Genre:** Drama/Romance

* * *

**Something of Yours**

**Chapter Seventeen**

Sakura loved the park, despite the dangers it currently represented to her. She was sitting on her own on one of the benches – her bodyguard was somewhere around, but she couldn't really see him – reading a book that pertained information on childbirth. Feeling a little green as she read through the process, she rubbed her twenty-four week pregnant belly, grinning as her little one kicked her hand through the skin. Amused, she marked her page and placed the book down; more interested in talking to her unborn child than reading about the pain she would be enduring in a few short months.

"Oi, you'd better behave in there." She pretended to scold her belly. "If you're naughty, Okaa-chan wont give you ice cream tonight." She laughed as the baby kicked again, as if in response. She looked up as her bodyguard approached.

"It's getting late, Kinomoto-sama." He stated. "It's probably best to start heading home, now."

Sakura stared out toward the setting sun. The sky was starting to turn purple, signifying the end of the day. "Alright, Suzuki-san." She stood. "Let's go."

Sakura had resumed reading her book for the ten-minute ride, smiling to herself as her bodyguard cursed at the peak-hour traffic. She really should have known better than to stay out all day on her feet, but she had felt the need to go for a long walk. With the police having spotted Hamada the previous week, she was fairly confident that Syaoran's father had contacted him, and was deathly afraid that he would try something.

Looking up as an abrupt _bang_ sounded through the street, a sudden lurch threatened to topple her over; she had to cover her ears at the following telltale sound of crunching metal. Her head snapped backward at the following abrupt stop, hitting the back of the seat rather hard, feeling her arm bend and crack in the most sickening manner. After a few moments, she realised that her face was wet and sticky, something gooey stuck all over her front. Opening her eyes, she screamed.

A hole about the size of a grapefruit was present in the back of her bodyguard's head. Scrambling out of the back of the car, she fell onto the road beside her, dimly aware of the crowd that had gathered, the pain n her arm making itself known. Hysterical, she shrieked several times, realising that what she had splattered all over herself was her bodyguard's brain matter. Hyperventilation soon followed this realisation, bringing about a light-headedness that had her woozy on her feet.

Suddenly, there were sirens and flashing lights everywhere, sets of hands pushing her into an ambulance, cleaning the muck off her face, checking her responses. She could dimly hear her father's voice after a while as she was lifted onto a gurney and taken into the back of the ambulance. By this time, everything had faded into the background; the burning pain in her arm was the only thing she was consciously aware of. She could faintly feel someone tenderly brushing her hair back from her forehead, whispering the words "It's ok, Sakura-chan… it's ok…"

* * *

Syaoran and Eriol were shooting hoops out in the backyard. The light from the sunset cast long shadows against the walls, the surrounding orange glow giving everything a surreal glow. The approaching night promised to be quiet and peaceful; his mother was going out to visit Fujitaka for dinner, Eriol and Tomoyo were going out on a date, and Meiling had entrance exams to study for to get into college.

That meant that it was only himself and Sonomi that would be unoccupied; and she would likely be doing paperwork for her company. This left Syaoran to entertain himself for the evening; he toyed with the idea of going out for dinner on his own, followed by a trip to the gym, and then coming back to the Daidouji house and being a couch potato until it was time for dinner. The perfect evening.

He and Eriol laughed as they stepped off the court, slapping each other on the back. The game had ended close; Eriol had won by one point. Syaoran admitted that it stung to have his cousin best him at something that he was really good at, but supposed he'd let it slide. The two of them began to go inside before it got too dark. Syaoran paused, seeing his mother in the driveway.

"I thought you were headed to the Kinomoto-san's place for the night?" He questioned, pulling his shirt back on over his head, wiping his forehead with his sleeve. The shock on his mother's face gave him pause. "What's wrong, Okaa?"

She looked up at him, her eyes blank. "Fujitaka-san's son just called. There's been a shooting." Syaoran's insides turned to ice. "Suzuki-san is dead. Sakura-san is being taken to the hospital. She was injured in the accident when the car ran off the road. Kinomoto-san didn't know any more. He's headed over to the hospital as we speak."

* * *

Sakura smiled nervously at the room full of people. Each and every one of them was staring at her with a different expression on their face; her father's was full of anxiety, Touya's full of concern, Yukito with a slight worry, Meiling's face shining with unbridled fear, Tomoyo's face was glistening with tears, Eriol's with compassion, Yelan's overwhelming relief. Sonomi hadn't been able to make it, being swamped with paperwork, but had sent her concerns with her friend.

She still couldn't bring herself to look at Syaoran's face. She knew that Suzuki had been one of his close personal friends. As it seemed, he was not particularly interested in looking at her, either; he was sitting in the back of the room, his head in his hands. He had not yet looked at her, other than to quickly assess the extent of her injuries when he had walked in. He had not said a word since he had been informed of the accident.

"I'm fine." She insisted to everyone around her. "Really. I'm just a little battered." No one seemed convinced. The only sounds in the room were Tomoyo's sniffles, and the sounds of the machinery whirring in other rooms. They would faintly hear a heart monitor somewhere down the hall. "Really."

"You are not!" Tomoyo blubbered. "You have a broken arm, and you almost injured your spine! You're not fine!:

"Daidouji-san-"

"Don't you 'Daidouji-san' me!" Tomoyo yelled at her. Everyone took a step back, the shrill tone of her voice piercing their ears. Fujitaka, Touya, Yukito, Yelan, and Syaoran took this as their que to leave the room. Sakura watched Syaoran go out of the corner of her eye, wishing he would just _look_ at her. "Damnit Sakura-chan! Do you realise how much I died inside when I heard you were involved in a shooting?!"

"I'm sorry." She mumbled, looking down at her good arm. Flexing the fingers on her left arm, she could feel the insides of the cast itch at her arm. Absently, she picked at the edge of it with her right hand. "I… I…" The baby kicked. "I'm sorry."

Tomoyo and Meiling both flung their arms around her, sobbing hysterically. Awkwardly, Sakura used her good arm to hug them both, one at a time. "Oh, God, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo wailed. "I was so worried!"

Sakura managed a small smile. "I'm sorry for making you worry."

"Come on," Eriol tugged at Meiling's shoulder, "let's give them a minute."

As the two left the room – Eriol had to support Meiling's weight as she heaved from her tears – Tomoyo's death grip loosened. Sitting on the chair nearest the head of the bed, she gripped Sakura's hand tightly, staring down at it with tears glistening in the harsh hospital light. "We haven't spoken in a while." Tomoyo's voice came out as a sort of half-laugh, half-sob.

"No." Sakura gave a dry sob. "We haven't." She took Tomoyo's hand and placed it on her belly. "Can you feel her move?"

Fighting tears again, Tomoyo nodded.

* * *

"You!"

Syaoran looked up for the first time since he'd entered the hospital, to meet Touya's angry stare. He didn't answer him verbally; the look of utter exhaustion in his eyes betrayed exactly what he was thinking. He was tired; tired of worrying, tired of living in fear for Sakura, for the baby, for everyone. He'd just lost a childhood friend to his father; it was obvious that the man was willing to go just as far as Syaoran had predicted to get what he wanted.

Syaoran was lifted out of his seat by the collar and slammed up against the wall by Sakura's angry older brother. "This is your fault, you disgusting little piece of-"

"Touya-san!" Fujitaka boomed. "This it _not_ Syaoran-san's fault!"

"The Hell it isn't!" Touya growled, his grip never loosening.

Yukito put his hand on Touya's arm. "Hurting Li-san won't change anything." He murmured quietly.

"It'll make me _feel better_." Touya growled, his fist flexing.

"Go right ahead." Syaoran's low voice boomed out in the quiet hall. "You have no idea how much I'd love to kill something right now. If you wanna start me, I won't hold back."

"Why you-!"

"Enough!"

Everyone's attention snapped to Meiling. "Sakura-chan was nearly killed today, and all you two can do is fight! Get _over_ yourselves!"

Touya let Syaoran slide down to the ground; said young man collapsing to his knees. After a moment, he stood and made his way over to the door to Sakura's room. Shooting everyone a look that quite clearly told them to stay behind, he pushed it open and said "Give us a minute, Tomoyo-san."

* * *

Sakura's heart was pounding wildly as Tomoyo shut the door behind her, shooting her cousin a worried look. Silently, Syaoran took up Tomoyo's seat at the side of the bed, though he did not take up her hand. Looking downcast, he took a moment to collect his thoughts.

"You realise what happened today, don't you? What _almost_ happened?"

"Syaoran, I-"

His tone was grave as he cut across her. "A man _died_, Sakura." He paused, continuing as Sakura opened her mouth to speak. "A friend." He took a second to collect himself. "Surely, now you realise how serious this is? That you can't be reckless and just go wherever you want, whenever you want? There are people out to _kill _you, Sakura. Not to mention that stalker!" He still hadn't looked at her.

"I know that!"

"Do you?" Syaoran's voice still hadn't changed. "Do you, really?"

"Yes!"

"Then you'll understand."

"Understand what?" She did not like his tone.

"Why I'm going to do what I'm about to do." He stated, leaving no room for argument. He still hadn't looked up. "You're coming back with me to a safe house in Western China. You will stay there until the baby is born. All three of us will then go into protective custody until my father dies. I will not allow you to be harmed. Are we clear?"

"But-!"

"No buts, Sakura!" Syaoran stood, finally staring down at her. The look on his face made Sakura whither inside; his face was a mask of utter despair. Grief was written all over his face as his empty eyes bored into hers. Absolute fear and self-loathing was evident in his voice as he continued to speak. "I'm _responsible_ for this, Sakura! _I_ am!"

"I'm just as responsible as you are!" Sakura argued, her eyes misting up. She just needed him to tell her that it was all going to be ok. That everything would work out in the end. "I'm just as responsible!" She wailed, burying her face in her good hand.

Sighing in exhaustion, he sat at the top of the bed, next to her. Painfully aware of her broken arm, he gingerly wrapped his arms around her heaving form. "Shhh…" he whispered into her hair, kissing the crown of her head, "shhh… I won't let anything happen to you." He spoke softly, rubbing her back as he cradled her against his chest, Sakura burying her face into his shirt and sobbing. "I promise."

* * *

**I don't think this was the best chapter I've ever done, but it'll have to do. It was written in a single afternoon, so I don't like it too much. However, this is all a means to an end, so I guess it'll just have to do.**

Until next time!

**Sparkly Faerie**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Ooh, go me! Two updates in less than a month!**

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Card Captor or anything associated with it. All rights to Card Captor Sakura and affiliated products belong to CLAMP and the other proper entities.

**Summary:** A secret fling with the school nerd was all that it was supposed to be. Sakura's deepest, darkest fear is that it'll be revealed. Little does she know... its already too late; it'll eventually have to be revealed in the most public fashion possible.

**Rating:** M

**Pairings:** SxS ExT

**Genre:** Drama/Romance

* * *

**Something of Yours**

**Chapter Eighteen**

A week after the shooting, Sakura and Syaoran finally stepped off the cruise ship, and into China.

Straight away, they were whisked into a small, red car, and were driven down the highway at speeds that far exceeded Sakura's comfort zone. Clutching at Syaoran's arm tightly in the back seat, she kept her eyes clamped shut, much to Syaoran's amusement. Assuring her that it would be alright, he soothly removed her arm from his grip, and wrapped it around her.

"I don't like this, Syaoran! We're going too fast!' She whimpered about an hour into the trip, as their speed only increased, burying her face into his shirt.

Chuckling, he rested his chin atop her head. "It's _fine_, Sakura. We'll be there soon, don't worry."

And, after several minutes, they were. Stepping out of the car on shaky legs, Sakura untangled herself from Syaoran, blushing. He mock-bowed, adding to her embarrassment, sweeping his hand out in the general direction of the house. Scowling at him, Sakura huffed, making her way through the garden, and up the steps. A chuckling Syaoran followed, carrying some of their bags.

"It's a nice house." Sakura observed from the living room, to the left of the entrance. "Are you sure it's alright to use it?"

"Positive." Syaoran dumped the bags by the door as the driver brought the rest inside. "Okaa bought it under a false name from one of her secret accounts, so we're fine. The only way that Otou can find us would be if Okaa told him herself, and I don't see that happening."

Sakura bit her lip, looking out the window. "If you say so." She offered hesitantly. Syaoran bid the driver goodbye, closing the door behind him, as Sakura had a sudden epiphany. "But aren't you, like, famous around here?" She asked warily. "Wont it get back to your Otou that you're here with me?"

"Nah." Syaoran shook his head, plopping down on the couch – the house had been furnished prior to their arrival. "My family's influence is mainly in Hong Kong, and we're a fair way away from there. He wont hear about us." He patted the spot next to him. "Sit down, you look dead on your feet."

She acquiesced, feeling about twice as tired as she looked. "What about the others? I feel so bad for leaving everything behind." She worried at her lip. "Will they be alright? He wont go after them, will he? Or your Okaa?"

"Otou wouldn't _dare_ go after Okaa." Syaoran wrapped his arm around her shoulder, drawing her into him unconsciously. He played with the ends of her hair as he thought out loud. "The others will be fine. Eriol's parents will probably house Tomoyo in England, your family aren't really a threat to him, and Meiling is family. He doesn't want to hurt a family member if he can help it; it's just that he's paranoid about me, is all. The second I have a kid, I'm eligible to take over the Clan, since it wasn't his by birthright."

Sakura looked up at him, confused. "But why would _you_ be the heir if it's not _his_ birthright?"

"It was Okaa's." Syaoran looked away, his eyes examining the small piece of sky that they could see through the window. "He wasn't born with the Li name; he took it when he married Okaa. She's the only child of the last leader, so it automatically fell to her when she got married." He paused. "The Clan is a real patriarchy. If there are daughters _and_ sons, then it'll go to the eldest son, even if he's younger than all the girls."

"Like you and your sisters?" Sakura asked softly, playing with the hem of his shirt.

He nodded. "What makes it worse is that they don't question it." He scowled at nothing in particular. "The women of the Clan aren't really allowed to leave the family's influence; Okaa was lucky; she needed to be able to question things to be an effective Matriarch, so the Elders granted her special permission to be educated outside of the Clan tutors once it became apparent that she wasn't going to have any siblings."

"What about Meiling?" Sakura asked, curious. This was the first time that'd he'd spoken at any real length regarding the dynamics of his family, and she was certainly curious as to how it worked. She'd heard so many rumours about the Li Clan that she didn't even know who to begin to believe. "How come she's so independent?"

"The Elders wanted us to get married, so they educated her with me, outside." Syaoran grinned at the horrified look on Sakura's face. "What?"

"But… but she's your _cousin_!" Sakura gasped, disgusted by the idea. "You're blood relations!"

"Well _duh_." Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Why d'you think we called off the engagement? The Elders can bully us into marrying, but in the end, they can't really decide for us." He paused, ruffling Sakura's hair. "Besides, Meiling's not as cute as you." He winked playfully, not really considering the consequences of such a playful statement.

Silence enveloped the two of them; the only sound that could be heard was the ticking of the clock that hung on the wall in front of them. Blushing for the second time that day, Sakura looked up at him, her grip on his shirt loosening. She was so scared of being here, alone; he could see it in her eyes. They shone with tears, belying her attempt to remain calm and in control.

Before either of them had realised it, they could feel the heat of the breath of the other on their cheeks. Syaoran softly kissed both of Sakura's eyes – which had fluttered closed – as she tentatively laid a small hand out on his chest, fisting against his shirt. He gingerly kissed each of her cheeks, which were now wet with tear tracks; her forehead; her nose; her lips.

All of Sakura's insecurities melted into oblivion at Syaoran's tender gesture. Suddenly, nothing else mattered but him and their baby, and that they were all there, and safe, and where she could keep an eye on them. It was nothing like the last time they'd kissed – oh, God, that had been so long ago – in the heat of lust. This was sweet, and tender, and… and _loving_. And that feeling…

That feeling exhilarated her.

"Syaoran…" she breathed as they withdrew.

He shushed her with a finger to the lips as he took a second kiss, just as tender as the first. A hand rested on her left cheek, the thumb brushing the tears away that were spilling freely at the rush of emotion that coursed through her. His other hand rested upon her belly, where their child grew inside of her. Her free hand rested atop his, stroking the slightly dry skin as the baby kicked her father's hand.

* * *

They fell into a routine after that first night. Syaoran practically forbade Sakura from working, insisting that it would put too much stress on her, and that it wasn't good for her health. He, himself, got a job with a local company – doing God only knew what – in order to support the two of them. Sakura, meanwhile, was doing her best to look after the house that they had been given, making sure that no damage came to it.

In the evenings, after dinner, Syaoran would teach Sakura simple Mandarin. As it was the most widely spoken language in China, and other parts of Asia, he deemed that it was the more important of the two languages that she learn, in order to function a little more easily while he was away. After all, she reasoned, she would need to go shopping, and she would more than likely be cornered by the neighbours sooner or later.

He had expressed doubts about her being out of the house on her own, which she had quickly persuaded him were completely unfounded. After all, she argued, wasn't it _him_ that had said that they were in no danger in that area of China? Wouldn't she get lonely by herself during the day if she couldn't at least go out to the grocery store every now and again?

In light of these arguments, and a few spilled tears of frustration, he had relented. Though, he insisted, until she had a good grasp of the language, he would accompany her – she readily agreed, treating the outings as if they were extra lessons. She had never imagined that learning a different language could be so fun! That there were so many different ways to say the same thing baffled her; and yet, she found herself wanting to know more with each and every passing day. After eight weeks, Sakura was pronounced able to visit the store on her own.

"Where is your companion today, Miss?" The shopkeeper asked kindly as she unloaded the shopping cart at the counter. It was the first time he'd seen her out of Syaoran's company; he was more than a little surprised that the quiet young woman had been let out on her own. He had rather quickly discovered, on her first trip with the young man, that she didn't speak their language very well, so it was a shock to see her out and about on her own.

A sunny smile was sent his way. "He at work." She answered in broken Mandarin. "He say 'hello'."

"You'll send him my best wishes, wont you?" The old man smiled kindly at Sakura's enthusiastic nod. "And how are you this week?"

"Good. Almost there." She rubbed her thirty-three week belly. "Seven more left." She informed him with an eager smile. "We very excited."

"That's always the way." The older man nodded sagely. "My wife and I were thrilled all three times. Do you like it here in China?" He asked, realising that he'd never had the chance to ask her before.

"Very happy here." She nodded, biting her lip. "Miss family and friends, though." She sighed. "I speak only five times to them since arrived." She perked up. "But Xiao Lang keep me busy. I very happy here." Her smile was back in place as she paid him for her goods. "You have good week, Mister."

"You too, Miss." He nodded as she left, turning to serve his next customer.

Really, but she was a lovely young woman.

* * *

"_Syaoran_!" Sakura actually _squealed_ as he came home that evening, enveloping him in a hug that seemed to knock the breath out of him. Catching her, he managed not to fall over and injure themselves in her excitement. "I went out on my own today! I had a conversation with someone in Mandarin! Granted, my Mandarin isn't the best, but still—!"

"Breathe, Sakura!" Syaoran laughed, stoping her gushing words as he fitted his arms around her waist.

She could barely calm down. It was a refreshing sight for him, after seeing her act like a caged animal for the last two months. She'd barely been able to converse with anyone other than himself without the need for a translator – the woman next door was half-Japanese, so they were able to hold a remedial conversation using broken sentences in the two languages – so he supposed she had the right to be excited. Being devious, he slipped into his native tongue, and began to speak.

"And where was this conversation?"

"At grocery store!" Sakura also slipped into her broken Mandarin, barely recognising her lack of ability to articulate her words properly to be merely a nuisance. "Mister sends Xiao Lang wishes!"

"And did you say hello to him for me?" He asked, somewhat amused that her bubbly happiness still came out in her broken speech.

"Yes!"

He laughed again. "Alright." He let her go, stepping out of her embrace. "Let me sit down for a while, and then I'll help you with dinner." She nodded happily, letting him go.

* * *

Hamada Osamu sat in the dingy interrogation room back in Tomoeda Police Station, being stared down by two of the most intimidating men he'd ever seen.

"Who hired you?!" One of the demanded, slamming his hands down on the table. "Who told you where Kinomoto was?!"

"I'll never tell!" He sing-songed, much to the annoyance of the officers.

"We have your fingerprints on the murder weapon." The other officer read calmly from the file. "I doubt it's a coincidence that you just so _happened_ to shoot _Kinomoto-san's_ bodyguard." He pursed his lips, looking up at the man in custody. "You'd better start talking, Hamada. It may be your last chance to avoid having the city put a needle in your arm."

"You'll never get me to talk!" Hamada insisted. "Sakura is my one true love!" He shouted as the two officers up and left the room, leaving him alone in the dark. "Nothing will keep us apart! Not even _death_!"

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed the SxS in this chapter!**

**Yes, there was an eight-week jump in this chapter. I opted to skip all the boring bits, since the eight weeks in between the beginning and end of the chapter would have been _quite_ boring, and I was content with my little SxS moment in the first half of the chapter.**

**Besides, I realised that it would probably be wise to start winding down the story soon – not right _now_, but I'm hoping for the story to finish at the twenty-five-chapter mark.**

**Anyway, that's all from me for now.**

**Until next time!**


	19. Chapter Nineteen

****

Hey, guys. Sorry, it's been a busy month. It's only going to get busier, since I graduate in September, and I have HSC exams in October. It might seem like three or four months is a long way away, but… it's really not. I'm freaking out a bit here, guys! So, sorry in advance for any lapse of silence on my part.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Card Captor or anything associated with it. All rights to Card Captor Sakura and affiliated products belong to CLAMP and the other proper entities.

**Summary:** A secret fling with the school nerd was all that it was supposed to be. Sakura's deepest, darkest fear is that it'll be revealed. Little does she know... its already too late; it'll eventually have to be revealed in the most public fashion possible.

**Rating:** M

**Pairings:** SxS ExT

**Genre:** Drama/Romance

* * *

**Something of Yours**

**Chapter Nineteen**

Tomoyo stood in the foyer of Eriol's English family home, marvelling at the difference in cultures. Eriol, though of both Chinese and Japanese descent, had merely shrugged at her admiration, and stated that she'd 'get used to it'. Nevertheless, Tomoyo took her time carefully going over each and every cultural item that she could find; she identified a few pieces as French, or Italian, but the bulk of the furniture and ornaments were of distinct English origin. However, there were also distinct hints of Japanese and Chinese themes, as well.

"Do you like that portrait?" Eriol's elderly grandmother asked her from behind, as she inspected a particularly Japanese-looking painting, startling the young woman out of her wits. "It's of my late husband. It was painted just before the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. He died three days after it was completed. My daughters and I had to flee the country shortly after receiving it."

Tomoyo whipped around to bow to the elder Japanese woman respectfully. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "It really is a wonderful portrait, Li-san." She added, remembering that all men who married into the Li Clan took the name of the women; though Eriol's father was a special case – as his mother was only half-Chinese, it was deemed appropriate for the 'mixed blood' to distance themselves from the Clan by taking on new names.

"Eriol, the dear, looks just like him." Tomoyo found herself nodding in agreement. "Come on, dear, I'll show you the gardens." She extended an arm toward Tomoyo, who looped hers with the older woman eagerly. She found herself thinking of how privileged Eriol was to have grown up in such a happy place; though her mother was wealthy, her father was never around like his was – and that made all the difference to Tomoyo.

* * *

Saturday afternoon found Sakura fretting over dinner, knowing that it would be only the _second_ time that Syaoran would actually be _home_ in time for dinner since they'd arrived. Over the eight and a half weeks that they'd lived there, he'd had to work late nights for his training, which had officially ended the day before. She'd normally just cooked whatever she wanted, and put his in the fridge for him to reheat when he got home; but that night she wanted to impress him. She wanted to show him that she wasn't completely useless – not that he'd ever said that. That was just her hormones playing tricks on her mind.

The kitchen was a mess. She'd decided on yakisoba, sukiyaki, yakitori, and miso soup – the ingredients for which she'd picked up at the grocery store that morning. The old man at the store had been shocked to see her twice in the same week, and with such 'exotic' ingredients – at least, they were to him – but had greeted her with a smile nonetheless.

With the various pots on the stove boiling, Sakura allowed herself the chance to clean up all the packets and scraps from the ingredients that she'd used. Satisfied with how the meal was progressing, she managed to sit down and rub her back to attempt to soothe the aching. Being unable to lie on her back had taken its toll on her sleeping, though she supposed she was glad that the baby had started to sleep during the nights as well.

She almost had a heart attack when the phone started to ring in the hall. Taking a moment to steady her heartbeat and take a calming breath, she answered it with a careful "Hello?" in Mandarin.

"Hello, Darling." Her father's voice spoke from the other end of the line, sounding very drained. "How are you doing?"

"I'm alright." Sakura slipped back into her native tongue. "My back is killing me, but otherwise I'm fine. How're things there?"

"Same as last week." She could hear rustling in the background, and guessed that her father was also preparing dinner for himself, and possibly Touya and Yukito if they were visiting. "Tomoyo-san and Hiiragizawa-san are still in England. Yelan-san has gone back to Hong Kong, though." He continued, not hearing Sakura's startled gasp. "Touya-san and Yukito-san are in town for the long weekend. I really wish you were here, Sakura-san."

"You and me both." Sakura sighed. "When did Yelan-san leave?"

"Uh…" her father's voice trailed off for a moment, "last night?" He sounded very uncertain. "I'm not really sure if it was last night or the night before, to be perfectly honest." He admitted sheepishly. Sakura smiled slightly, ignoring the queasy feeling that suddenly overcame her, knowing it had nothing to do with the baby. "Do you have a bassinette for the little one, yet?" He asked suddenly, intruding on Sakura's thoughts.

"It's being delivered tomorrow." She almost whispered. "Syaoran finished painting the nursery three days ago."

"What colour is it?"

"Light purple."

"Ah. Tomoyo-san will be pleased."

"Yeah…"

There was a pause. Fujitaka seemed to hesitate for a moment, before asking, "Have you been taking care of yourself?"

"Yes, Otou-san." Sakura let out in a whoosh of breath, almost exasperated. "Like I'm _not_ going to after you told me about Aoi-onee-chan." She whispered, knowing how sensitive the topic was to her father. "I promise I'm taking care of myself – and when I can't, Syaoran definitely is!" She added brightly. "He's being really supportive."

"I knew he would be." Fujitaka sounded almost smug, Sakura thought, if that were at all possible. "So, when can we expect the wedding invitations?" He almost sounded serious.

Sakura laughed uneasily, not knowing why she was suddenly so conscious of the fact that they had not kissed since eight and a half weeks previously, when they had first moved in. "Don't get carried away, Otou-san." She scolded, feeling more like she was talking to Tomoyo than anyone else – who had asked her exactly the same question a week previously. "Ah! I have to go!" She freaked out as she heard the front door open. "I'll talk to you another time."

"Have a good week, darling. Give Li-san my best." Her father's smile was audible. "I love you; don't forget that."

"I will. I love you too, Otou-san." Sakura whispered, hanging up and making her way to the hall, to see Syaoran removing his shoes.

A bright smile greeted him as he looked up. "Hello." He drawled pleasantly.

"Hi." She blurted sheepishly, lowering her gaze to her feet. "Your day?"

"Pretty good. Yours?"

"Long and boring."

He smiled apologetically. "I wish I could let you go out more often, but it's too dangerous." He admitted. "I know you hate being cooped up inside."

"It's not so bad." Sakura's eyes didn't leave the floor. "I went to the store again today."

"What did you buy?"

Sakura mentally slapped herself, hating how awkward the conversations had been between them in the last week or so. Every time he looked at her, her insides turned to jelly. Her cheeks heated. Her heartbeat increased. It was almost like it was when they were still in school together, before his change of image, before Tomoyo had found out about them; except it was more innocent this time around. There were no overpowering feelings of lust, no pull of the danger of discovery to entice her. There was simply him and his smile. His support. His overwhelming ability to bring her peace of mind.

"Um, just some things for dinner." Her eyes widened as she bustled away, having almost forgotten about their dinner on the stove.

He grinned as he leant on the doorframe, watching her bustle around the kitchen. "Do you want some help?" He offered.

"No, no I'm alright." She waved him off. "You've been at work all day."

"And you're pregnant." He chastised, all but forcing her into the chair at the table. "Let me." He insisted at her protests. "Don't make me tie you down." He winked playfully.

Sakura sighed in exasperation. "I meant to have it ready for when you got home." She confessed.

Syaoran looked like he was about to be sick. "Never, _ever_, do that sort of thing." He grimaced.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, confused. Surely every man wanted that, right?

"Do you have any idea what you sound like, Sakura?" He prompted. Sakura could tell from the tone of his voice that he thought she was being ridiculous; but about what, she couldn't imagine. She was simply trying to make his time stuck with her as comfortable as possible – especially considering as the little peaceful time they had left would soon come to an end with the arrival of their daughter.

Such an odd thought, Sakura mused. '_Their daughter_'.

And suddenly it hit her. She was acting like the female stereotype; right down to the bare feet, she frowned, wiggling her toes against the wooden floor. "Ew."

"'_Ew_', indeed." Syaoran chuckled.

"Sorry." Sakura apologised sheepishly, nervously rubbing the back of her neck. "I guess I got too carried away."

Syaoran shook his head. "Don't worry, I do it too." He admitted. "It's just so easy to…" he trailed off, searching for the word, "_pretend_." He finally settled on. Sakura stared at his back; he refused to turn to face her until the food was ready.

By the time he turned, the faraway longing in his eyes had been replaced by a gentle strictness that Sakura knew meant that he was about to be quite impossibly, sweetly overbearing.

She loved it when he acted that way. She loved how he took care of her. She loved how he was always there for her. She loved that he was willing to put everything on the line for her. Over the last few months, she was coming to realise that she loved a lot of things about him – it was not so simple, she realised, as switching a light on and off; the electricity that they had generated in the beginning of their so-called 'relationship' had built up, and now the light was burning strong. At least, it was for her.

She loved _him_.

* * *

Syaoran couldn't sleep that night. No matter how much tossing and turning he did, he couldn't seem to switch off his thoughts and drift off into slumber – he was too wired. It was like he'd drunk a gallon of coke, and then another gallon of coffee, with the addition of eating a tonne of chocolate. There was no way he was sleeping that night, he knew. Which was ok, he decided; it was Sunday the next day, anyway.

He could hear Sakura's gentle snoring in the room across the hall, smiling softly. Making sure not to make any loud noises, he slipped out of his room, and across the hall.

Her door was already open. He leant in the frame, watching her slightly. She was curled up on her side, hugging the pillow to her body, a small frown on her features. Syaoran almost laughed as she muttered something about socks in her sleep. She always said the weirdest things in her dreams.

He froze as she stirred a little, calming himself when she settled. He did not notice the increase in her breathing, of the fact that she was too still to be asleep. He was too lost in his own thoughts.

This was not the first time he had observed her in her sleep; in fact, he did it almost every night, long after she fell asleep. There was something about the evenness of her breathing, the mumbling in her sleep, which gave him a sense of peace. The added bump to her belly – a discomfort he felt slightly guilty for – made her seem all the more surreal to him. Her cargo was precious to him, just as the carrier herself had come to be.

He loved her.

He had for a long time, really, he mused. Ever since he'd first stepped into that classroom, God only knew how long ago, there'd been something there. Maybe he was being silly, he chastised himself, and maybe he was reading too much into things in hindsight. All he knew now was that, after the baby was born, they would more than likely practically go their separate ways – after all, wasn't this arrangement purely temporary?

He'd let himself get out of hand, he realised rather suddenly. The nursery, for one thing. It would likely be used a grand total of once, before they left. He had no doubt that Fujitaka was already setting one up in his own house for when Sakura returned home with her baby. Syaoran slapped himself. He really was an idiot. He should only be there when she needed him for the baby, he told himself sternly, frowning slightly at her prone form. It would only hurt them both if he were to hold on more than he had a right to.

"I love you, Sakura." He whispered to himself. He turned around and went back to his own room, suddenly drained. He loved her, but he would let her live her life on her own, the way she wanted.

He missed Sakura's eyes flickering open in shock as he turned, just a mere second after his eyes left her face.

He missed the intake of breath so slight that Sakura herself had difficulty registering it.

He missed it as Sakura sat up in bed, starting after him with wide, astonished jade-coloured eyes.

He missed her small whisper of "I love you, too."

* * *

**So cliché, but I was never one for too much originality. Ok, so they know how they feel about the other, and Sakura knows how Syaoran feels about her. I'm wrapping up in a few chapters. The end is near!**

**Until next time!**

* * *


	20. Chapter Twenty

**HAHA! I bet you never thought you'd see ME again! Well, not here, anyway. :P But here I am, with the final chapter of **_**Something of Yours**_**! Yes, I said **_**FINAL CHAPTER**_**! Can you believe it? After two years, I'm finally finishing it! XD I don't know about you, but I never thought this day would come. I hope you enjoy this chapter; a lot of stuff in here is what you've been waiting for.**

**But before we continue, first let me offer an apology. I've been hella busy lately, and at the moment I'm in the middle of my exams (they finish on Thursday, thank God). I'm finally graduated from high school, so I'll have a little more time, until I get a job. I'm not making any promises though.**

**I've also gotten caught up in an MMORPG, too, so there's another excuse. Also, there has been little to no inspiration for this story, so I've kinda left it. But never mind! We're here now and that's all there is to it!**

**Again, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Card Captor or anything associated with it. All rights to Card Captor Sakura and affiliated products belong to CLAMP and the other proper entities.

**Summary:** A secret fling with the school nerd was all that it was supposed to be. Sakura's deepest, darkest fear is that it'll be revealed. Little does she know... its already too late; it'll eventually have to be revealed in the most public fashion possible.

**Rating:** M

**Pairings:** SxS ExT

**Genre:** Drama/Romance

* * *

**Something of Yours**

**Chapter Twenty**

Yelan rooted around her husbands study on Saturday evening; he had declared that he would be out. Much to her shame, she felt that her husband would not simply cease any harmful plans that he had dreamt up while her son and the mother of his child were in hiding – if anything, the wait would only make him more prone to unnecessary violence when they eventually surfaced.

A small cry of triumph escaped Yelan's lips as she found a small stack of manila folders with the words 'SOLUTION' scrawled across them in blotchy red pen. Flicking through the contents, her eyes widened at the sheer brutality that was in store for her almost-daughter-in-law. Pale as a sheet, Yelan tucked the folders under her arm, racing from the study and toward the garage.

* * *

Sunday morning was strange, Syaoran decided.

Sakura had been all smiles since the instant she woke up. He did not miss the small tune that she hummed to herself, nor the fact that she kissed him on the cheek when he came down for breakfast. She appeared to be walking on air; even the way she cooed to her stomach – as she'd taken to doing a lot recently – seemed infinitely more tender than any other time she'd engaged in the act.

So lost in these musings was he that he didn't even notice the phone ringing, or the fact that Sakura had shuffled off to answer it. Only her squeal of shocked delight woke him from his thoughts; he rocketed to his feet and into the hallway – Sakura already had the handset held out to him, her eyes alight with happiness and relief. Wondering what got her so excited, he hesitantly took the phone from her, pressing it to his ear.

His eyes never left hers. "Hello?"

"_Syaoran?"_ His mother's voice was breathless, and a little choked up. _"Syaoran, I have _great_ news!"_

He was perplexed at the tone of his mother's voice, the expression on Sakura's face. "What is it?" He asked warily. Sakura's eyes grew wider.

"_I was going through your father's files last night."_ Yelan started out slowly. Syaoran was immediately set on edge at the mention of his father. _"Syaoran, I found his plans; I took them to the police. They raided the house – Syaoran, they found records of every single thing that he's ever been involved with!"_ The exhilaration in her voice reached its peak. _"Syaoran, its safe now! Osamu has been captured, your father has been arrested! You and Sakura can come out of hiding!"_

Syaoran let the phone slip out of his fingers in his shock. Sakura, seeing the slip, caught it, pressing the earpiece to her ear. He barely heard the excited conversation that the two women held, preferring to stare off into space. It was… it was really over? Really and truly finished? For good?

He came back to himself as Sakura put the phone back onto the receiver. Letting out a whoop of triumph, he crushed Sakura to him tightly, ever mindful of the child inside her. A few tears leaked their way past her eyes as she joined him in celebrating their safety.

* * *

The plane-ride from England to Hong Kong was perhaps one of the most irritating things that Tomoyo had ever endured. They'd received the good news of Mr Li's arrest a few weeks previously, along with the notice of Sakura and Syaoran's relocation to the main Li house; Tomoyo was confused as to why Sakura didn't demand that she return to her father in Tomoeda, but at that point she really didn't care.

She fidgeted in her seat, eager to be off the plane and with her favourite cousin. Eriol, noting her agitation, gently rested his hand on hers. "Patience love; we'll be there soon."

She smiled brightly, intertwining their fingers and resting her head on his shoulders. "I know."

* * *

Sakura sat in the gardens, toying with the wildflowers that grew untamed in small clusters. Her mind was clearly elsewhere as Tomoyo approached her from behind – after their reunion the previous night, Sakura had seemed to be drifting further and further away from the new arrivals, retreating into her shell. It was only when Tomoyo took a seat next to her that Sakura turned to look at her with a smile and a small "hey".

"Hey yourself." Tomoyo joined her cousin in starting off into space. "You're at thirty-nine weeks, right? So, how long until we head home?"

Sakura glanced at her, puzzled. "'Home'?"

"Y'know…" Tomoyo fiddled with the hem of her shirt, "back to Tomoeda?"

Sakura's attention returned to the space in front of her, the wheels inside her head turning over the thought of 'home'. It took so long for her to answer that Tomoyo was almost going to nudge her; her elbow was still in mid-air when Sakura finally spoke. "I don't know when _you're_ going back, but I don't think I will. Not for a while, at least."

Tomoyo almost fell off the seat in shock, staring at the other woman slack-jawed. "I thought you'd be _dying_ to go home!" Sakura merely shook her head in answer, prompting Tomoyo's eyes to bug. "Why? What changed?"

Sakura frowned, her attention not appearing to be on the present. Her eyes were clouded over, clearly lost in her memories as she thought of how to answer her best friend. "You… you didn't _live_ with him for all that time, 'Moyo-chan." Her voice was soft, tender as she contemplated her bloated abdomen. "He… it wasn't like I _expected_ it to be. I mean… I thought I'd be mad at him, for getting me into this mess, but that's… that's not how it happened, y'know?" She took a deep breath. "Ever since we went into hiding… it's been almost… almost like we _were_ a married couple. I saw a side of him that I'd never seen before. Tomoyo…" she regarded the dark-haired woman with wide eyes, unable to finish her thoughts.

"…you love him." Tomoyo said through a constricted throat. Sakura nodded.

"And he loves me."

This time, Tomoyo _did_ fall off the seat in her shock. Picking herself up, she stared at Sakura, her thoughts in a flurry. "When did he tell you _that_?!"

"About a week ago," Sakura bit her lip, "but he didn't mean for me to hear it. He thought I was asleep." Her face twisted in pain as a pre-labour contraction wracked her. She'd been having them on and off for a few hours now, but she didn't tell anyone; she was afraid of a false alarm.

Tomoyo ignored the flash of pain on her face, knowing that Sakura would speak up if something were _really_ bothering her. "But _now_ he knows that you know, right?" Tomoyo asked eagerly, infinitely happy for her best friend; this was the best outcome that she could have hoped for. Her face fell when Sakura shook her head. "_Why not_?!"

Sakura's face pained. "I just… I can't tell him." Her voice was barely more than a whisper. "Not knowing that when the baby comes, I'll have to go back to Japan and we'll only see each other when we pass her along for vacations and stuff…"

"It doesn't have to be that way." Tomoyo reminded her gently. "You can stay here, you know. Live with him. Marry him, even."

Sakura gave a bark, which may have been a laugh if her voice wasn't so thick with tears. "In what lifetime?"

Tomoyo sighed as she pulled Sakura's head to her shoulder, resting her head atop the smaller girl's. Inwardly shaking her head at her best friend's pessimism, Tomoyo simply held the girl while a few tears leaked out past her lids.

* * *

"You're getting sloppy, boy!"

Syaoran grunted as Eriol took another swing at him, this time managing to catch it as his coach shouted at him from the sidelines. "You wanna be mincemeat by the time I get back in the ring?!" He indicated his broken arm. "I bet I could take you down _now_, handicapped! Get your attention back here, Li!"

Throwing a glare at the older man, Syaoran disgustedly pushed Eriol away from himself and stepped out of the gym and into the locker room. He barely heard his coach's shouting at him to come back as Eriol entered behind him, reaching for his own towel as Syaoran threw one around his neck. "He always like that?"

"Only ever since he was born." Syaoran scowled, taking a swig from his water bottle.

"He has a point though." Eriol raised his hands as Syaoran turned a glare on him. "You attention _was_ elsewhere. What were you thinking about?"

"None of your business, Hiiragizawa."

"So it _was_ Sakura."

"I _said_ 'none of your business'!"

"Geez, _you're_ in a bad mood." Eriol shook his head. "I take it you haven't told her how you feel yet?"

"Shut _up_ Hiiragizawa, before I hit you _without_ the gloves!"

Eriol just shook his head. "Man, you're wasting your time. Eventually she's going to go back to Japan, you know. And she'll probably take the baby with her." He studiously ignored Syaoran's glare. "Now, I know you're not stupid enough not to have thought of that, but I'm just letting you know that it might be sooner than you think. Tomoyo and I, well… we talk. You know Sakura's hurting, right? Tomoyo gave me a call about a half hour ago. She's real upset, Syaoran. You should talk to her."

Syaoran was so livid that he couldn't speak. He simply grabbed his back and stormed out of the change room, and out of the gym. Eriol stared after him, shaking his head.

* * *

Sakura smiled at Syaoran that night as he walked in the door. Her stomach was doing flips, not the least because of the baby that was moving around inside her; her talk with Tomoyo earlier had really put some things into perspective – she'd put this off for too long, and now it was time for everything to come out. Hopefully everything would go well.

"How was your day?" She asked, a little intimidated by his absentminded glare. She was proud of herself, though; she'd managed not to stutter. Her face, though, turned down as she received no answer. "Did you have a good time at the gym?"

"I guess." Was the rather rude answer that she received.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to continue. "Everyone's gone out for dinner, so it's just the two of us here tonight." She offered, her heart plummeting when he didn't so much as grunt in response. Maybe she'd been dreaming when she heard him say that he loved her? It certainly seemed so now. "Um, excuse me." Her voice was thick as she managed to wrestle her way to her feet, and was in the middle of quickly shuffling out of the room when Syaoran caught her wrist.

"Don't go." His voice was softer, his expression less antagonistic. He bit his lip at the sight of the tears that rimmed Sakura's eyes, feeling horrible for having put them here. "I'm sorry." He stepped a bit closer, a little hurt when she stepped back. "Sakura? What's wrong?"

"N-nothing." She viciously scrubbed at her eyes, removing the tears before they spilled over. "I have to go."

"Sakura…" his grip tightened on her wrist, "I'm sorry. I've just had a rough day. I didn't mean to take it out on you." He gave her a crooked grin. "Forgive me?"

Sakura giggled as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, sighing in content as he wrapped his arms around her in turn. He almost fainted as she whispered six quiet words that shook his world.

"You know I love you, right?"

He was speechless. After a minute, Sakura managed to overcome her nerves and look up at him, her chest constricting at the look on his face. Suddenly, before she could manage to utter a sound, he used his hand to tilt her jaw up, and gently planted his lips on hers in a sweet kiss. "I didn't, but I do now." He grinned. "And I love you too." He kissed her again.

Sakura managed to give a small giggle as he kissed her nose, before giving a sharp gasp as the muscles around her stomach tightened. "Sakura? What's wrong?" Syaoran almost demanded, seeing the pain twisting in her face.

"I've been having contractions all day." Sakura managed to whimper through the pain. "Syaoran, I think the baby's coming!"

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**It's the final chapter, and I've left it at a cliffy! HOW CAN THIS BE?!**

**Never fear, there will be an epilogue, and we'll find out how SxS handle their new roles as parents. :D It'll only be short, but that's that. :P**

**Until next time!**


	21. Epilogue

**The epilogue. (smiles) Enjoy!**

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Card Captor or anything associated with it. All rights to Card Captor Sakura and affiliated products belong to CLAMP and the other proper entities.

**Summary:** A secret fling with the school nerd was all that it was supposed to be. Sakura's deepest, darkest fear is that it'll be revealed. Little does she know... its already too late; it'll eventually have to be revealed in the most public fashion possible.

**Rating:** M

**Pairings:** SxS ExT

**Genre:** Drama/Romance

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**Something of Yours**

**Epilogue**

The glare of the hospital lights was lost on the young mother as she stared down at the child in her arms, glowing with content. Her hair in disarray, her face blotchy, the occasional spasm in the muscles of her stomach paled in comparison to the immeasurable happiness she felt bubble up inside her very being at the tiny person in her arms.

A light knock at the door caught her attention; her head snapped up to see the elderly nurse sticking her head in through the doorway. "You have visitors." She smiled, the wrinkles at the edge of her eyes becoming more prominent with her grin. At Sakura's nod and wide smile, she ushered them in, closing the door behind them with a snap.

"Hey." Syaoran smiled, adjusting the child on his hip as he sat down on the side of the bed, peering at the bundle wrapped in a little yellow blanket. The little girl curled into his frame peered tiredly out from under her sheen of auburn hair, chocolate eyes regarding Sakura curiously. As Syaoran set her down on the ground, the child's hair bobbed as she all but skipped to her mother's side.

"Okaa, is it a baby brother or sister?"

"You have a baby brother, Emi." Sakura reached out with a freed hand, patting her six-year-old daughter's head lightly.

"What's his name?" Emi peered between her parents, innocent curiosity decorating her beautiful features. She easily resembled a softer version of her father, with the exception of her mother's hair colour – even this was manipulated by her father's genes, the locks falling in gentle curls to sweep the back of her knees.

"Well," Syaoran helped the little girl sit up on the edge of the bed, to better see her brother, "we haven't decided yet." He wrapped his arms around his daughter as she settled in. "Why don't you help us?"

Emi put a finger to her chin, running through the etymology of Japanese names that she'd been taught; it was a prerequisite to her schooling – the Elders had demanded that she knew both the origins and meanings of the names of people she met. When asked why, Syaoran had only shrugged, stating that 'it was their way'. "How about… Daichi?" She finally offered.

"I like it." Sakura peeled back the blanket to peer at the baby in her arms. "How about it, baby? Do you like the name Daichi?" She asked him. The baby gave a happy gurgle. "I think that means 'yes'." She smiled, putting a finger to the baby's mouth to suckle on.

"Well then." Syaoran shifted his daughter to the other side of his body, to better gain access to his young wife and second child. "His name is Li Daichi."

At the sound of his name, the newborn reached up and grasped the tie that rested, askew, on his father's chest. Sakura laughed. "Sorry, I pulled you out of a meeting, didn't I?" She realised, not having known the exact time she arrived at the hospital.

"Don't you _ever_ apologise for that. They can wait." He assured her, touching his forehead to hers. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She pried the tie out of the baby's hands as she kissed him lightly. Not satisfied, she used the tie to pull him back for a second kiss. "I do believe I have something of yours." She murmured against his lips.

"Yeah, you have my heart." He whispered. "And, God, don't ever let it go."

**THE END**

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**Well, this story has been a long time in the running. And while it makes me sad to see those two little words at the end of this instalment, it also fills me with a sense of accomplishment; I've stuck through with this story, sometimes months between updates, close to half a year at one point, but yet here we are.**

**Unfortunately, I had wanted to end this story much sooner, because once I developed the characters to where I wanted them to be, they ran away with the plot – most of what we see here in the final quarter of the story was meant to come much earlier than what it did. When I realised what was happening, I decided that I'd better pull in the reigns or risk having it run on forever. What you see here is the result.**

**I'd like to thank everyone that read all the way through, whether they reviewed or not. I recognised each and every repeated name that came up in my email, whether it was only twice, or all twenty times. Thank you to all of you.**

**Unfortunately, there wont be a sequel to this story; I feel as if messing with it now will detract from the quality of the piece – this is a standalone piece, untouched by anything else. What began as a simple experiment for me to write pointless citrus has blossomed into so much more; this story is like a child to me now, and it's all grown up. I have a feeling that I will look back on this fic in the years to come, and will feel a sense of satisfaction at how far I've come.**

**And so, it is with a sense of pride and accomplishment that I close this story, for good.**

**THANK YOU**


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